BCI Signs MoU With KIIT to Set-up Institute for Training and Research in Law
Education News | EduLegaL | www.edulegal.org | mail@edulegal.in
The Bar Council of India (BCI), spearheading the cause of learning and promoting a teacher-centric approach, has joined hands with one of India’s leading educational institutions, KIIT Deemed University, in an initiative to establish the Indian Institute of Law (IIL) in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. This Institute will primarily engage in skill upgradation of the law teaching faculty.
Indian Institute of Law:
This Institute shall act as Model Institute of Law Teachers’ Academy, Continuous Legal Education and Research, to propel and encourage teachers’ learning in the field of law.
IIL is established with the intent to promote advanced legal education benefitting law professionals, teachers and advocates. It also aims at encouraging research and innovation in the legal sector. An effective training facility where young teachers and law professionals can enhance their skills shall be the area of focus. It further aims at upholding the cause of legal research and advanced studies in law to meet the socio-economic and needs of people.
It is anticipated that the National Law School and other universities, governmental bodies, NGOs’ and Bar Associations of States will collaborate in the advancement of the objective to assist and promote legal framework.
There will be four major programmes introduced in the infrastructure. They include:
a. Professional Skill Development programme,
b. Continuing Legal Education,
c. Courses for learning Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods through mediation and conciliation.
The IIL will further comprise of five departments in the initial stage, which include:
a. Academic Staff College (ASC),
b. IIL Training Centre (IIL-TC),
c. School of Continuing Education (SCE),
d. Centre for Legal Aid (CLA)
e. Bridge Courses for Foreign Degree Holders
The BCI has taken the initiative to execute the programmes for the initial three years. Books, periodical digests and research papers, both in hardcopy and soft copy, will be published for the benefit of teachers, advocates and academicians for continuing legal education.
Full-time teachers, guides and guest lecturers are expected to be renowned jurists, formers judges of the Supreme Court or the High Court and Advocates of the Bar and noted Law Teachers from National Law Universities (NLUs).
The seminars, training programmes and symposiums conducted will be presided by Hon’ble judges, law deans and members of the Bar from countries across the world.
EduLegaL View:
This initiative if implemented in form and content will widen horizons and open up an array of opportunities offering a national platform to the young legal professions to learn and gain advanced skills from the prominent legal luminaries from India and abroad. It will greatly aid in the dispensation of law and justice. The research will unquestionably aid in the advancement of legal studies in India.
Having said that, the BCI should seriously reconsider its recent controversial decision to scrap 1 year LLM, when 1 year LLM is a practice all over the world. There is no sound reason to withdraw the 1-year LLM. It is not supported by any data or study.
Ritesh Samartha | Research Intern | EduLegaL
