INDIA: ‘Over 30% of lawyers have fake degrees’

The process of weeding out fake lawyers has begun across the country. Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra told TOI on Wednesday that results of an ongoing verification process may surprise many and far exceed the initial estimates that over 30% lawyers have fake degrees. "We have implemented the BCI Certificate and Place of Practice (Verification) Rules 2015 and have now made it mandatory for all lawyers to re-register in a new format where they have to compulsorily submit all their certificates starting class X board results," the BCI chairman said.

These certificates will then be verified with respective universities and boards and the entire verification process is likely to be completed by 2016. All lawyers who have not practised in the last five years, will remain advocates but will not be allowed to practise.

The Bar Council with the help of state governments have started setting up lawyers' academy in various states. The first such academy — where lawyers will be trained for three months in court procedures and ethics — has been set up in Kochi. The second one will come up in Jharkhand, followed by a national-level academy in Jabalpur. A certificate from the academy will be mandatory for a lawyer to practise in any court, Mishra said.

The BCI chairman had last year said that about 20% of practicing lawyers don't have a valid law degree. The BCI chief had approached the Centre last year for funds to start lawyers' academy while promising to weed out lawyers with fake degrees.

The government has extended its help in training of lawyers at the existing judicial academies where judges are trained and which are also responsible for mid-career training of judges. The law ministry had told the BCI that a decision in this regard was taken at the chief ministers and chief justices conference in April last year to provide necessary assistance for conducting training programmes for other stakeholders in the justice delivery system, such as public prosecutors, lawyers and police officers.

Sources: timesofindia.indiatimes.com