BCI Declares War on Fake Law Degrees, Orders Nationwide Verification of All Advocates on Rolls

Concerned over malpractices and glaring irregularities in legal education in the country, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has cracked the whip on instances of fake law degrees being awarded by some universities.

- VINAY KUMAR

Taking cognizance of a "deeply concerning" report from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut (UP), which identified 13 instances of fake law degrees verified by the Bar Council of Delhi, the top regulatory body termed the prevalence of such practices a "grave threat" to the legal profession and called for immediate corrective measures.

The unravelling of 13 fake law degrees from CCS University, Meerut, is only the tip of the iceberg. The BCI stated that the number of such fake law degrees might be much larger, running into several hundred fraudulent enrollments in Delhi alone. The number of fraudulent enrollments of advocates using fake law degrees and forged certificates is believed to be significantly higher across the country.

Taking a serious view, the regulatory body took a hard stance against the conduct of some recognized and deemed universities that have been found issuing law degrees in violation of the norms established by the regulatory body.

In certain instances, these institutions have turned legal education into a mere commercial transaction under the guise of education. Such unethical practices must be immediately eradicated to safeguard the sanctity of legal education and prevent further erosion of professional standards, the BCI noted.

Subsequent internal investigations suggest that this problem is systemic, with evidence pointing to over several hundred additional cases of fraudulent enrollments in Delhi alone. The prevalence of such practices constitutes a grave threat to the legal profession and warrants immediate corrective measures," BCI Principal Secretary Srimanto Sen pointed out in a press statement on Tuesday.