DELHI HC: LAW STUDENTS CAN'T BE BARRED FROM EXAMS OVER ATTENDANCE SHORTAGE

The Delhi High Court on Monday ruled that no law student across India can be stopped from appearing in examinations on account of attendance shortage. In its judgement, the Court directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to review and amend its existing attendance regulations for legal education.

- TDG NETWORK

Delhi High Court.

(File photo)

The judgment was delivered in the suo motu proceedings initiated after the 2016 suicide of Amity Law School student Sushant Rohilla, which had triggered widespread debate over mental health pressures caused by rigid academic policies.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Amit Sharma observed that attendance rules, though essential, must not be enforced so harshly that they inflict psychological harm or lead to tragic consequences.

“Attendance requirements in law schools should not become instruments of distress. Even if attendance deficiency was not the sole factor behind Sushant Rohilla’s death, the loss of a young life can never be justified in the name of academic discipline,” the Court said while pronouncing its judgment.

With these findings, the Bench brought the suo motu case to a close. It issued a set of wide-ranging directions intended to reform attendance norms and student grievance mechanisms in higher education institutions.