Bar Council of India halts establishment of new law colleges for 3 years

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has announced a three-year moratorium on the establishment of new centres of legal education nationwide. The council has framed the Rules of Legal Education, Moratorium (Three-Year Moratorium) concerning Centres of Legal Education, 2025, to halt the establishment or granting of approval to new Centres of Legal Education.In addition to preventing the commercialisation of legal education, widespread academic malpractice, and ongoing faculty shortages, the move aims to halt the decline in quality across areas of legal education, “evidenced by the unchecked mushrooming of substandard institutions, routine issuance of NOCs by State Government and affiliations by universities without proper inspection.”The regulation, which will be in effect for three years, also prohibits the introduction of any new section, course, or batch without the BCI’s prior written and express approval, and all such proposals, if considered at all, will be subjected to strict scrutiny and ongoing compliance reviews, according to Live Law.

BCI halts new law colleges for 3 years
Bar and Bench (@barandbench) August 13, 2025Universities, state governments, and other institutions are advised not to submit or forward proposals for the establishment of new centres during the moratorium. The BCI will conduct intensified inspections and audits on existing centres to ensure compliance with standards.In circumstances when institutions fail to meet requirements, the council may order their closure or de-recognition. “To ensure deterrence and protect students, the Regulation specifies consequences for violations, including withdrawal of BCI approval or recognition, derecognition of degrees issued in contravention of the Rules, ineligibility of graduates for enrolment under Section 24 of the Advocates Act, 1961, and initiation of disciplinary, civil and criminal proceedings against offending institutions and authorities,” the press release dated August 13 read, reported Bar and Bench.The regulation shall make several exceptions for institutions that cater solely to socially and educationally disadvantaged groups, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Economically Weaker Sections.ALSO READ | Tamil Nadu research scholar and DMK leader’s wife refuses to receive degree from Governor Ravi at convocationThe ban will also not apply to proposals for state or central universities established by statute or specifically suggested by the relevant Ministries, courses exclusively for people with disabilities, or institutions in distant, tribal, or aspirational districts.“All such proposals must satisfy strict conditions, including valid NOCs, prior university affiliations, demonstrated infrastructure and faculty strength, and compliance with need-based establishment under the Rules of Legal Education,” according to BCI.(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)First Published: Aug 14, 2025 1:18 PM IST

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