LHC suspends 5-year LLB study programme at private sector colleges

Lahore: On Friday, a full bench of Lahore high Court (LHC) suspended the 5-year programme for Literally Legum Baccalaureus (LLB) degree at all private sector law colleges affiliated along with the universities and also ordered the concerned management to restore the evening law classes.

Though, the bench permitted the universities to run 5-year LLB programmes at their principal law colleges.

The bench suspended the further hearing for a date to be fixed by the registrar office of Lahore High court.

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The bench had made a commission to submit its recommendations presided over by former Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) president Anwar Kamal to inspect the quality of legal education imparting by the educational institutes in Punjab.

The commission described that there was a total lack of coordination among the varsities, Higher Education Commissions as well as the bar councils in the issue of affiliating law colleges.

Furthermore, the commission reported that the 5-year syllabus also gave rise to specific anomalies as courses to be taught in the first 2 years were not law related, being political science, sociology, English as well as Arabic.

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The commission said that the 3 years remaining syllabus was similar to the earlier 3-year LLB course. It also showed serious concern on the syllabus and highlighted that there was no exit strategy for the apsirants who had chosen 5-year programme and they had no option except to complete the programme or to drop out without any credit.

The commission suggested that the varsities should be instructed to grant the affiliation to only those colleges meeting the minimum standards set by Pakistan Bar Council.