The Bar Council of India (BCI) has announced significant reforms to ensure transparency and ethical standards in legal education nationwide. These reforms aim to regulate attendance, ensure academic integrity, and reinforce law students’ security and conduct. To monitor students’ antecedents and behaviour, all Centers of Legal Education (CLEs) are now mandated to implement a Criminal Background Check System and enforce declarations about simultaneous degree programs, employment status, and attendance compliance. Furthermore, to ensure better transparency in attendance tracking and security, biometric attendance systems and CCTV cameras must be installed in every institution.

Criminal Background Check System For Law Students

The Bar Council of India has taken a stringent stance on maintaining ethical conduct in the legal profession by implementing a Criminal Background Check System for all law students. This initiative aims to ensure that individuals entering the legal profession have a clean criminal record.

Also Read: New Criminal Laws Of India

Under this mandate, every law student is required to declare any ongoing First Information Reports (FIRs), criminal cases, convictions, or acquittals before the issuance of their final marksheets and degrees. Failing to disclose such information will result in strict disciplinary actions, including withholding the student’s final marksheet and degree.

Key Aspects Of This Criminal Background Check System:

• Reporting Mechanism: CLEs must report any criminal cases involving students to the BCI via email. The subject line must include the criminal background check report, and the CLE is required to await the BCI’s decision before issuing final degrees.
• Legal Consequences for Non-Compliance: If a student fails to declare any criminal case, both the student and the CLE will face serious consequences, which could include withholding of degrees and academic penalties for the institution itself.

This reform not only aligns with the broader global standard of ethical transparency in legal education but also adds a layer of accountability, ensuring that only those who are ethically fit to practice law receive their degrees.

A comprehensive background check ensures that individuals with criminal histories are identified before they embark on a legal career. This will act as a preventive measure to ensure that the future generation of lawyers in India meets the ethical standards set forth by the profession.

Simultaneous Degree Declaration

In an effort to maintain academic integrity and focus, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has reinforced the mandate that students pursuing an LL.B. degree must not be enrolled in any other regular academic program simultaneously. This rule is derived from Chapter II, Rule 6 of the Rules of Legal Education (2008) and seeks to prevent academic dilution while ensuring that students are fully committed to their legal education.

Law students must submit a formal declaration confirming that they have not pursued any other full-time degree programs during their LL.B. studies. The only exceptions permitted under this mandate are short-term, part-time certificate courses, such as those in language proficiency or computer applications, or distance learning programs that do not conflict with their regular legal studies.

Key Highlights Of The Simultaneous Degree Declaration:

• Formal Declaration: Each student must declare that they are not pursuing any regular academic program alongside their LL.B. course. This declaration is mandatory and will be required before the issuance of the final marksheet and degree.
• Strict Enforcement: CLEs are instructed not to issue degrees to any student found in violation of this rule. Such cases must be reported to the BCI for further action, which could include the cancellation of the student’s degree.

Employment Status And Attendance Compliance Of Law Students

Another key aspect of the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) new mandate is the declaration of employment status and attendance compliance during the pursuit of an LL.B. degree. These declarations are crucial for maintaining academic integrity and ensuring that students fully comply with the attendance requirements, a vital aspect of legal education.

Students must declare that they were not engaged in any job, service, or vocation during their LL.B. degree unless they had obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bar Council of India. This NOC is necessary to ensure that their employment or external commitments do not interfere with their academic responsibilities and attendance requirements. The BCI has made it clear that any student who fails to disclose their employment status or attendance will face strict consequences, which could include the withholding of their degree and further disciplinary actions against both the student and the CLE.

Key Aspects Of Employment Status And Attendance Compliance:

• Employment Declarations: Every student is required to declare their employment status during their legal education. If they were employed, they must provide proof of an NOC obtained from the BCI.
• Attendance Norms: Compliance with attendance rules is mandatory under Rule 12 of the Rules of Legal Education. Students must declare that they have met the required attendance threshold, which is typically a minimum of 75%.
• Reporting and Penalties: If a student is found to have violated the employment or attendance rules, the CLE must report the matter to the BCI before issuing the final marksheet or degree. Non-compliance can lead to the revocation of degrees and punitive actions against both students and the CLE.

Biometric Attendance And CCTV Surveillance

To enhance transparency, accountability, and monitoring in legal education institutions, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has mandated the installation of biometric attendance systems and CCTV surveillance in all Centers of Legal Education (CLEs). These technological interventions are aimed at ensuring accurate tracking of student attendance and maintaining order in classrooms.

Biometric Attendance System: CLEs must implement biometric attendance systems to record and verify student attendance. This technology uses unique biometric data, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, to track attendance more precisely and avoid any potential manipulation or inaccuracies that traditional manual attendance systems may face.

By automating attendance through biometric systems, CLEs can eliminate discrepancies and ensure that only genuinely present students are marked as attending. The system also provides a reliable database for tracking student participation, which is vital for academic and disciplinary purposes.

CCTV Surveillance: In addition to biometric attendance, the installation of CCTV cameras in classrooms and other key areas is now a mandatory requirement. The BCI has directed CLEs to install cameras that record student and faculty activities in real-time, thereby ensuring that the classroom environment remains disciplined and conducive to learning.

The CCTV recordings must be preserved for at least one year to support any investigations or verifications related to student conduct, attendance compliance, or institutional disputes. These measures also act as a deterrent against misconduct, helping to maintain a secure and transparent educational setting.

Key Aspects Of Biometric Attendance And CCTV Surveillance:

• Accuracy in Attendance: Biometric systems prevent proxy attendance or manipulation, ensuring that only students who physically attend the classes are recorded.
• Real-Time Monitoring: CCTV cameras provide real-time surveillance of classrooms and other key areas in the CLE, fostering a disciplined environment.
• Data Preservation: CCTV recordings must be stored for a minimum of one year, providing a reliable source of evidence if any issues arise regarding student behaviour or attendance.
• Security and Compliance: These technological systems help CLEs comply with BCI’s standards while ensuring that the institutions maintain high levels of security and discipline.

Institutional Compliance Mandate And Penalties

The Bar Council of India’s (BCI) latest mandates place a significant responsibility on Centers of Legal Education (CLEs) to enforce these rules with immediate effect. The success of these reforms—covering criminal background checks, attendance compliance, simultaneous degree declarations, and biometric attendance systems—relies heavily on institutional adherence. To ensure strict enforcement, the BCI has outlined penalties for non-compliance by both students and educational institutions.

Institutional Responsibilities: CLEs are now required to:

• Ensure all students undergo a criminal background check before issuing final marksheets or degrees.
• Collect and verify declarations regarding simultaneous degrees and employment status.
• Implement biometric attendance systems and CCTV cameras in classrooms and key areas, maintaining proper records.

Failure to comply with these mandates will result in severe penalties, not just for the students, but for the institutions themselves.

Penalties for Non-Compliance:

• For Students: Students who fail to disclose criminal records, simultaneous degree enrolments, or employment status will face academic consequences, including withholding of their marksheets and degrees. They will also be ineligible for enrolment in any State Bar Council without meeting these requirements.
• For Institutions: Any CLE found to be non-compliant with these mandates will face disciplinary actions, which may include de-recognition or disapproval of affiliation by the BCI. This could have long-term consequences for the institution’s ability to offer legal education and produce qualified graduates.

The BCI has made it clear that these measures are non-negotiable, and strict adherence is required to maintain academic and professional integrity in legal education.