Today, the Supreme Court seeks response from the Bar Council of India (BCI) regarding a petition challenging the BCI's decision to bar final-year law students from taking the All India Bar Examination (AIBE).

The Bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was hearing a writ petition challenging the recent Bar Council of India's (BCI) notification concerning eligibility for the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). The notification bars final-year (final semester) law students from registering for and appearing in the upcoming AIBE-XIX, scheduled for November 24, 2024.

The Bench instructed the BCI's counsel to obtain instructions from the BCI and provide a response by next week.

The plea was filed by nine final-year law students from the 3-year LL.B. program at Delhi University's Campus Law Centre and Law Centre.

The petitioners argue that the contested notification contradicts the Supreme Court's decision in Bar Council of India v. Bonnie FOI Law College, where a Constitution Bench ruled that final-semester students should be permitted to sit for the AIBE, provided they clear their law degree. The Court also directed the BCI to conduct the exam twice a year.

In their plea, the petitioners argue that the notification prevents them from appearing in the upcoming AIBE, resulting in the loss of valuable time in advancing their professional careers. They contend that the notification is arbitrary and unreasonable, as it fails to account for the varying schedules of universities in declaring results, thereby negatively impacting students whose results are delayed.