AIBE 2024: Supreme Court allows final year law students to appear for the All India Bar Examination

AIBE 2024

The Supreme Court today allowed final-year law students to appear in the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) scheduled for November 24. This decision comes after a petition was filed by students from the Campus Law Centre and Law Centre-1, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi.

The students argued that the prohibition on final-year law students from appearing for the AIBE was in violation of the Supreme Court's earlier ruling in Bar Council of India vs. Bonnie Foi Law College. The Court, while passing the interim order, acknowledged the potential hardship faced by students who had no control over their final-year results.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) was asked to respond to the matter and informed the Court that rules were being framed and might take four to six weeks. Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud expressed his displeasure with the BCI's delay in addressing this issue, given the previous Supreme Court judgment.

The petition contended that the eligibility criteria for the AIBE, as outlined in the notification, restricted participation to advocates already enrolled in a state bar council. However, the students argued that this restriction contradicts the mandate of holding the examination twice a year.

The Court's decision is a major boost for final-year law students who were facing uncertainty regarding their future career prospects. By allowing them to appear for the AIBE, the Supreme Court has ensured that they have an equal opportunity to pursue legal careers.