S MEENAKSHI Vs. SECRETARY UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) IN W.P. No. 17992 of 2009, the petitioners have sought for a writ of declaration, declaring Rule 28(b) of Bar Council of INdia Part-IV Rules of Legal Education Schedule III, as arbitrary and consequently, Clause 4 of "INformation Brochure" issued by Sri Balaji Vidyalaya Society, Puducherry, fourth respondent, for the year 2009-10 as ultra vires. The consequential prayer stated supra is challenged in other writ petitions in W.P. Nos. 20114,20702 and 20721 of 2009.

(2.) AS pleadings and arguments are common, all the writ petitions are taken up together and disposed of by a common order.

(3.) MR. R. Gunaraj, learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that the Bar Council of India, New Delhi, has no power or authority to fix the eligibility criteria for admission to Law Degree course and any condition imposed by them is beyond their jurisdiction. According to him, Section 7(h) of the Bar Council of India Act gives power to the Council to promote legal education and to lay down standards of such education in consultation with the Universities and State Bar Councils, which would relate to the curriculum and standard of teaching and does not relate to prescription of age for admission to law degree course. For the above said reasons, he submitted that Rule 28(b) of Bar Council of India Part-IV Rules of Legal Education, Schedule III and Clause 4 of "Information Brochure" issued by the fourth respondent-College for the year 2009-10 are arbitrary, ultra vires and null and void.