In an effort to bring legal education in India in tune with global trends, the Government plans to hold a national consultation to usher in second generation of reforms in the sector.
"The national consultation will try to identify the major challenges legal education is facing. We will also try to draw a roadmap to bring radical institutional reforms in legal education to meet the requirements of the Bar and also of trade, commerce and industry as the legal profession today has international dimensions," Indian Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said at a press conference here in the national capital.
He said though the Bar Council of India had made rules to regulate legal education in the country under the Advocates Act, 1961, the laid down standards do not meet the present day
requirements of the legal profession. The Bar Council is considered as a regulator of legal education in the country.
To a question on differences in "controlling" legal education, Moily denied any differences with the HRD Ministry on the issue.
"There is no conflict of interest," Moily said adding that the process of inter-ministerial consultations was on.
"In fact Mr Sibal (HRD Minister) is also attending the consultations," he said.
He was asked to comment the emphasis of the Law Ministry on the role of Bar Council in legal education and the proposed National Commission for Higher Education Bill of the HRD ministry which says that the Bar Council will have no role in legal education.
The Law Minister stressed that the Bar council of India was "very much with the Government" in reforming legal education and said differing views will help bring out the
best. "For amrit (nectar), you need samudra manthan (churning of the sea)," he said.
To a poser on the stand of the government on entry of foreign legal firms in the country, he said the issue was pending before two High Courts and said the "best decision" will come.
At present, professional legal education is imparted by 913 colleges recognised by the Bar Council of India and 14 National Law Universities established under various state Acts.
"Due to unprecedented and fast changes in the society and economy, the law curriculum lags behind and is not reflective of the knowledge and skills required of legally trained persons," Moily said.
The issue of how does the curriculum reflects itself in syllabi and teaching plans will be the highlight of the consultation, he added.