KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) to submit a comprehensive policy statement and detailed information about a five-year law degree programme within 15 days.

The SHC also asked the PBC secretary to furnish a report regarding the eligibility criteria for students who had obtained a three-year degree from an external programme of a foreign university such as Denning Law College or those holding a diploma from abroad.

Comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, the two-judge bench further said that the PBC secretary must also clearly delineate whether such students were qualified for enrollment or exempt from the Graduate Assessment Test (GAT) as well as five-year condition for admission and whether any exemption granted to such students on the basis of their diploma and if so, under what specific circumstances such exemptions were permitted.

The court was hearing a petition filed around two years ago by some law students of Hamdard University (HU) seeking implementation of the Higher Education Commission’s policies and to follow procedure given by the PBC.

The petitioners also asked the SHC to set aside impugned letters issued by the director of the faculty of law of respondent university for expulsion of petitioners/students on the alleged pretext that they had failed in the exams.

At the outset of hearing, the lawyer for the petitioners produced a mark sheet of one of the petitioners, which indicated that he had secured passing marks, but comments of the varsity reflected that the petitioner had not achieved the requisite marks in two subjects.

Thereafter, the counsel of the respondent university and its officials undertook to review the issue affecting all the petitioners with sympathy, in consultation with the faculty members and to submit a comprehensive report in the court.

The bench directed the VC and other officials of the varsity to file a statement specifying the particulars of admissions in the LLB five-year programme in the last five academic years, including the fee structure, law faculty members and dean.

It also ordered the PBC secretary to furnish a comprehensive policy statement about the eligibility for students who had obtained a three-year degree from an external programme of a foreign university or holding a diploma from abroad and whether they were qualified for enrollment or exempt from the GAT and the five-year condition for admission.

Furthermore, the secretary is directed to provide detailed information regarding the five-year admission programme, including whether exemptions are granted to students on the basis of their diploma, and if so, under what specific circumstances such exemptions are permitted, it added.

While adjourning the hearing till Sept 17, the bench further said: “The secretary of the Pakistan Bar Council shall submit the comprehensive policy statement and the detailed information regarding the five-year admission program within a period of 15 days from the date of receipt of this directive”.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2024