Pakistan Bar Council Goes Medieval
Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer has observed that, “Lawyering like justicing rises and falls in reputation and esteem according as they serve the great purpose of delivering justice to the people. When the fail what befalls them i.e. best expressed in Shakespeare’s words, ‘Dick, the first thing we do. Let’s kill all the lawyers”.
Pakistan Bar Council’s decree to award the degree of Legum Baccalaureus LL.B after five years of legal education is significant for material legal education.
Madras High Court of India in October 2015 abolished the three year law courses and retained the five year course at par with other professional degrees like medicine and engineering, considering it vital for the competency of their judicial system.
In Pakistan the three year law offered superficially by substandard colleges had ruined the judicial system of Pakistan, lacking moral, social and professional behaviours. According to the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s verdict in November 2006, only 28 universities were recognized to offer a degree in law. Besides hundreds of colleges were providing poor legal education and producing thousands of graduates, which was taking its toll on the Bench, the Bar and ultimately the quality of justice. These colleges never discouraged it because it was bringing them money. Dropouts from all other courses used to prefer law. They joined law by chance not by choice.
The poor quality of the legal education was marginalizing the legal system of Pakistan. Law is twined with two objectives which includes enforcement of fundamental rights and dispensation of justice. Extension in the tenure of law will improve professional and sound language skills. It will groom the moral and social behaviors of the students. English is a prerequisite in this legal profession.
Enforcement of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan can only be achieved by a conscientious judiciary and a competent body of lawyers. Hopefully, PBC Legal Education Rules 2015 will work well.
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