One Year LLM: Status and Update

There are many queries going around in the One-Year LLM, and contradictory answers are being given. This is the current status and factual information regarding one year LLM course.

# On 2 Jan 2021, the Bar Council of India notified the BCI Legal Education (Post Graduate, Doctoral, Executive, Vocational, Clinical, and other Continuing Education) Rules, 2020.

# Section 6 of these rules states that the One year Master's Degree is to be abolished.

One year Master Degree to be abolished

A Master Degree Program in Law of one-year duration introduced in India in 2013(as per notification) by the University Grants Commission shall remain operative and valid until the Academic Session in which these Regulations are notified and implemented but not thereafter at any University throughout the country.

# This was challenged in the Supreme Court in Jan and Feb 2021, through three petitions.

TAMANNA CHANDAN CHACHLANI vs. BAR COUNCIL OF INDIA

RISHABH SONI vs. BAR COUNCIL OF INDIA??

CONSORTIUM OF NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITIES vs. BAR COUNCIL OF INDIA

# The last listing of these petitions happened on 12 March 2021.

In the Record of Proceedings, The Bar Council of India has submitted that these rules will be implemented from the academic session 2022-23.

Mr. Vivek Tankha, learned senior counsel on instructions from Mr. Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman, of the Bar Council of India who is present before us, states that the impugned rules are proposed to be brought into force from the academic sessions i.e. 2022-2023.

Points to Note

# There has been no listing of these matters after March 2021.

# Supreme Court has not given any order on it.

# Pending any adverse order from the Supreme Court, the rules of the Bar Council of India will operate.?

# Reading Section 6, and this submission together, we can understand that in whichever academic session the notification comes in, the rules will apply from that session.

# Though it is submitted that rules are proposed to be brought in force from 2022-23, there is no specific notification at this point to that effect.

# So it seems that it is 'proceed at own risk' for those wanting to join one year LLM. For all practical purposes, the courses that begin before the notification will be recognized and allowed to complete.