The Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued a circular mandating that centers of legal education (CLEs) across the country promptly implement its various guidelines, including the introduction of mediation as a compulsory subject.

Additionally, the BCI directed CLEs to adopt the three new criminal justice laws that will replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, starting from the academic year 2024-25.

The circular, dated May 20 and signed by BCI Secretary Srimanto Sen, was addressed to vice-chancellors and registrars of universities, as well as principals, deans, and directors of legal institutions.

The circular stated that it was being issued in light of the "transformative vision" for legal education articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the "collective keenness" of the judiciary and the government to integrate new subjects into legal education.

“The Prime Minister also stated that legal education needs to adapt to the changing times & technologies, focusing on understanding the latest trends in crime, investigation & evidence. In the light of these considerations, the BCI issues this circular to all centres of legal education for immediate implementation,” the circular by BCI said.

It added, “All centres are directed to incorporate subjects such as blockchains, electronic discovery, cyber-security, robotics, artificial intelligence, bio-ethics etc. into their legal education curricula as per the vision of the Prime Minister. This is to ensure graduates are well-equipped to handle contemporary legal challenges".

The circular also called for educational programs aimed at imparting a "profound understanding" of constitutional values, integrating socio-economic and cultural contexts into the syllabi, promoting interdisciplinary thinking, and striving to provide bilingual education using both English and regional languages.

The circular said, “In line with the evolving legal landscape of the nation, it has been decided to incorporate three new enactments i.e. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita & the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam of 2023 into the curriculum of Universities & Centres of Legal Education starting from the academic year 2024-2025.” Regarding incorporating computer education, the BCI circular said it was already a part of the rules of legal education of 2008.