On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court upbraided the Delhi University administration for meting out “step-motherly treatment” to Faculty of Law, Delhi University after considering and perusing a report on the matter by the Bar Council of India. The Bar Council of India report exposed an abysmal state of affairs caused due to lack of appropriate infrastructure and faculty members at the Delhi University’s Law Faculty.
The bench of Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw observed that the condition in which the Law Faculty is being administered is pitiable. Further, on a nostalgic note the bench noted ruefully that most of the people present in the Court room have graduated from the Delhi University’s Faculty of Law, including several judges of the Delhi High Court. In such a situation, it will be almost criminal to allow the Delhi University’s Faculty of Law to shut shop.
During the hearing, the bench referred to several news reports pointing out the report of the Bar Council of India’s inspection panel. The inspection panel had recommended that the Delhi University’s Faculty of Law be shut down if the condition of improving upon the reported shortcomings is not fulfilled. Senior Advocate SiddharthLuthra, appearing on behalf of TarunNarang, a student of the Delhi University’s Faculty of Law in the Public Interest Litigation argued that the present infrastructure of the Law Faculty is in violation of the BCI Legal Education Rules, evoking the Court’s ire.
Mr.Luthra further fuelled the Court’s anger by postulating that the Delhi University’s proposal for a new building will also not be able to meet the education standards. He pointed out that the proposal entails shifting the Faculty from the present 3 acre campus to a 1.5 acre building and a merger of all the 3 centres in Delhi Law Faculty into one, thereby creating problems concerning the accommodation of 7,500 students.
On listening to Mr.Luthra’s argument, the bench addressed the counsel appearing on behalf of Delhi University and accused the University of harbouring a negative approach and an obvious “step-motherly treatment” towards CLC.
Further, the Court has asked the University to adhere to Bar Council’s Legal Education regulations and file a detailed reply by next week. Now, the matter will be dealt by the bench which is already presiding over a Public Interest Litigation filed by the former dean of CLC Mr. S N Singh concerning the absence of proper infrastructure and educational facilities at the CLC.
The inspection panel had further observed in one of its recommendations that the admissions for the batch starting from 2015-16 should be suspended until all the problems associated with the Law Faculty are resolved.
by Siddhartha Singh.