The Delhi High Court has declined to instruct the Bar Council of India (BCI) to recognize a law degree obtained from the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom as equivalent to an undergraduate law degree in India.

Justice C. Hari Shankar stated that the Court cannot mandate the Bar Council of India (BCI) to issue any certificate of equivalence.

“Equivalence is a matter for academic bodies to decide and Courts cannot declare courses of study or the Institutions from which such courses are undertaken, as equivalent to others,” the court said.

However, the court instructed the BCI to make a reasoned and detailed decision regarding the law graduate's representation within three weeks.

The court resolved the plea filed by Vasu Sachdeva, who sought a directive for the BCI to recognize his degree as equivalent to a three-year undergraduate course in India. He also requested permission to enroll in a three-year LL.B. course at CCS University or a two-year bridge course at NLU. Sachdeva enrolled in the LL.B. (Hons.) Bachelor of Law course at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. in September 2018. Upon completing the course, he returned to India and sought enrollment as an advocate based on his foreign degree.

The BCI informed Sachdeva that to qualify for practicing as an advocate in India, he would need to complete a two-year bridge course offered by the India International University of Legal Education and Research in Goa.

However, Sachdeva was unable to afford the expenses associated with the two-year course.

“…. all that the court can do in this case is to direct the BCI to take a reasoned and speaking decision on the petitioner's representation and communicate the decision to the petitioner as soon as it is taken,” the court said.

Counsel for Petitioner: Mr. G.K. Sachdeva, Advocate

Counsel for Respondents: Mr. Preet Pal Singh, Advocate for R1/BCI; Mr. Subrodeep Saha for Ms. Monika Arora, Advocate for R2

Title: VASU SACHDEVA v. BAR COUNCIL OF INDIA AND ORS