BCI Affiliation Absent In Several Legal Education Centres Across Kerala: GLC Kozhikode Principal Tells High Court

The Principal of the Government Law College, Kozhikode recently filed a statement before the Kerala High Court wherein it told that in addition to the government law colleges in Kozhikode, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram, several other legal education institutions do not possess affiliation from the Bar Council of India.The statement was filed in a plea preferred by an Idukki-based advocate, who has prayed for a retrospective recognition from the BCI to the 5-year-integrated course offered by the Government Law College, Kozhikode.According to the petitioner, he came to know that his law degree from GLC Kozhikode was deemed “unqualified” by the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) in Canada when he decided to pursue higher education and legal opportunities there.He had also submitted that the BCI's official list of approved Centres of Legal Education maintained in the official website confirms that the college's 5-year course approval ended in 2011 though it continued its intake of students.When the matter was taken up on a previous occasion, the Court had sought the BCI's response to the plea. Subsequently, the college had filed a statement through its Principal.According to the statement, though the college had sent out requests to the BCI for inspection and affiliation to it since 2012, the BCI was not prompt and came for inspection only in 2016. It is further stated that though the inspection team examination all the documentation, infrastructure and the academic standards, BCI failed to respond thereafter.As per the statement, many letters and requests were sent out to the BCI for extending affiliation but there was no positive response. Finally, in January this year, the BCI advised the college to pay Rs. 18.5 lakhs as default fee and Rs. 5 lakhs as guarantee fee, which were paid by it but the BCI had not issued a receipt or an acknowledgment. It is also claimed that the college paid around Rs. 24 lakhs for BCI inspection and the receipt for the same is yet to be given.It is further stated that when the present Principal took charge, he took steps to obtain affiliation and that the BCI told that the same had to done online through a link. Though the link had technical problems, in May, it got activated again and the college was successful in completing the process for the 3-year-course. With respect to the 5 year-course, there are still some technical issues, which are to be addressed by the BCI.“The absence of BCI Affiliation is not only the case of Government Law College, Kozhikode but also the case with GLC Thiruvananthapuram, GLC Thrissur and various other legal education centres in Kerala. The affiliations are pending due to the non-inspection of these centres by the BCI. Further, it may be noted that in 2019 the BCI has sanctioned retrospective recognition to Government Law College, Ernakulam from 2011 for BA LLB criminology course by imposing default fee,” it is stated.When the case came up before Justice V.G. Arun today (December 2), it was told that the default fee of Rs. 18.5 lakhs was already paid but receipt was not issued.“Does the government make payments without accepting receipts? What is there to show that you have made this payment?” the Court orally questioned.When the petitioner's counsel told the Court that the BCI may issue him an equivalency certificate, it asked him to submit such an application.“Make a request to the Bar Council, I will grant the relief,” the Court had orally assured. The case is posted next Monday (December 8) for further consideration.The petition is moved by Advocates S. Rajeev, V. Vinay, M.S. Aneer, Sarath K P, Anilkumar C.R., K.S. Kiran Krishnan, Dipa V., Akash Cherian Thomas, and Azad Sunil.Case No: WP(C) 39952/ 2025Case Title: Muhammed Anwar Saidu v. Bar Council of India and Others

BCI Affiliation Absent In Several Legal Education Centres Across Kerala: GLC Kozhikode Principal Tells High Court

K. Salma Jennath

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