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The Tamil Nadu National Law School,: Semester-Iii Legal History
The Tamil Nadu National Law School,: Semester-Iii Legal History
SUBMITTED BY SUBMITTED
TO
VEDAVALLI.S MR. BRITTO STALIN
BA0140073 FACULTY INCHARGE
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...........................................................................3
II. SYNOPSIS.............................................................................................................3
III. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................4
IV. AIMS OF LEGAL EDUCATION..........................................................................5
V. HISTORY OF LEGAL EDUCATION..................................................................5
VI. CURRENT SCENARIO OF LEGAL EDUCATION..........................................10
VII. IMPORTANCE AND REGULATIONS OF LEGAL EDUCATION.................12
VIII. CHALLENGES....................................................................................................14
IX. RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................15
X. CONCLUSION....................................................................................................17
XI. REFERENCES.....................................................................................................18
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
My project is based on data collected from secondary sources which includes materials
available on the internet and books and reports available. The research is of deductive nature
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and the footnoting style followed is Seventh Edition of MLA style as recommended by the
Modern Language Association.
SYNOPSIS
Legal Education has traditionally been a neglected area, in India. It is one area where there
has not been any fundamental change during the last 150 years. Except for the duration of the
courses, and addition of some fundamental subjects, there has not been innovation in legal
education scenario during all these years. An examination of the history of Indian Legal
Education would reveal the following:
Legal Education in India has remained mostly concentrated on developing legal
professionals in a national context.
Changes in Legal Education scenario cannot be fully understood from various
committee reports, which do not exactly follow the actual changes in the legal
education scenario.
Legal Education has more or less remained a theoretical study, with only minimal
content of practical exposure. Experiential learning was given a back bench in actual
practice, and many practical courses remain in paper rather than in content.
National law school experiment in India which has to an extent revived the interest in
legal education has remained elitist and out of reach for children from middle and
lower income group.
This paper seeks to detail the history of legal education during various eras in India. It also
seeks to analyze the current scenario of legal education and recommendations to improve the
status of legal education are provided.
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INTRODUCTION
“Legal Education is essentially a multi-disciplined, multi-purpose education which can
develop the human resources and idealism needed to strengthen the legal system ….A lawyer,
a product of such education would be able to contribute to national development and social
change in a much more constructive manner.”
- S.P.Sathe.1
Legal education is the education of individuals who intend to become legal professionals or
those who simply intend to use their law degree to some end, either related to law (such as
politics or academic) or business. It can also be said as a preparation for the practice of law.
Legal education includes either an undergraduate or graduate level first degree in law which
varies depending on the country, Vocational courses, Specific studies in branches of law like
Family Laws, Labor Laws, Business and Commercial Laws, Property Laws, Cyber Laws, etc.
and also higher academic degrees and doctorate.
Instruction in law has been offered in universities since medieval times, but, since the advent
of university-based law schools in the 18th and 19th centuries, legal education has faced the
challenge of reconciling its aim of teaching law as one of the academic disciplines with its
goal of preparing persons to become members of a profession. Most law schools have tried to
find a middle path between being a mere trade school and being a citadel of pure theory.
Unfortunately, the criticism is sometimes made that these efforts result in a type of education
that is not practical enough to be genuinely useful in resolving day-to-day legal problems but
yet not as rigorously theoretical as a truly academic discipline ought to be.2
Legal Education shall meet the growing demands of the legal service market. Globalization
shall be borne in mind and lawyers skilled in dealing with different legal systems and cultures
created. Emphasis shall be on theoretical as well as practical skills to match the requirements
of expanding world of legal practice. Legal skills including negotiation, research, counseling,
advocacy, research publications, and analysis of judicial decisions shall be imparted. Legal
education in India is offered by the traditional universities and the specialized law universities
and schools only after completion of an undergraduate degree or as an integrated degree.
1 S.P.Sathe, Access to legal education and the legal profession in India in R.Dhavan, N.Kibble andW.Twinner
(ed.) Access to Legal Education and Legal Profession 165 (1989)
2 Glendon, Mary Ann, Legal education, Encyclopedia Britannica Online, Web. 3 October
2015. <http://www.britannica.com/topic/legal-education>.
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AIMS OF LEGAL EDUCATION
The prime object of legal education is to produce professional lawyers. The term
‘professional lawyer’ does not only cover the ‘litigating, lawyer, viz.,’ the lawyer who argues
before the ordinary courts but all persons trained in law, whose employment is mainly
dependent on their degrees in law. The aims of legal education are varied and have differed at
various times and places. It may be broadly aimed at understanding the functioning of law in
society, as a training for administrators and civil servants as much as for legal practitioners;
or it may be more narrowly aimed at training persons for legal practice. The aims, methods
and content of legal education have differed in different countries, affected particularly by
whether there were or were not professional schools concentrating on practical branches of
law, the relative importance of legal treatises and decisions of courts, the relative standing of
professors and judges and other factors.3 In the West, the legal studies have been much
concerned with the development of intellectual capacity in law rather than with inculcating
professional expertise. For the attainment of this ideal, attention should always be given to
jurisprudence, constitution, legal history and all other allied topics. Moreover, our firm belief
that law is a subject of study in colleges and universities and that it has nothing to do with at
the school level which is the grass-root level is quite unfortunate. 4
An eminent justice S.B.Majumdar pointed that one aspect of legal education seeks to impart
appropriate training which should be made available through professionals. It needs to enable
law student to think like a lawyer, to make him familiar with the basic concepts and
principles of law, and make him to learn the basic skills which are the tools of every lawyer.
Only a well-trained lawyer will help the court in the quick and proper disposal of cases, doing
justice to the litigating public and thus help his client too. The prime aim of legal education at
present day should be to transmit to the rising generation “the accumulated knowledge” about
the management of the legal process. The student should be enabled to gain a comprehensive
picture of his legal system. The basic aim should be more to inculcate knowledge of the
principles than detailed rules. 5 Thus, today the responsibility of legal education is very
3Gandhi. B.M., V.D. Kulshreshtha’s Landmarks in Indian Legal and Constitutional History,
Tenth Edition, Eastern Book Company. Print p.629.
4 Ibid., at 630.
5 Ravi, Priya, Legal Education & Its Aims, Legal Services India, 01 May 2010. Web. 04
October 2015. <http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/legal-education-&-its-aims-
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heavy, as lawyers are meant to preserve the society and act as ‘healers’ and have to contribute
not only to their purse but more so to the happiness of the mankind as a whole. The Law
Commission of India has rightly summed up the whole aim of legal education in the
following words:
“All the theory in the world ill-equips the lawyer who has all the legal lore at his fingertips,
but doesn’t know how to draw a summon, a will, a deed or a bill of sale. Law schools furnish
their graduates with new, shiny, potent tools. Unfortunately, the average graduate has a little
knowledge of Law to use them as a two years child has of how to use a blow torch’’6
126-1.html>.
6 XIV Report of the Law Commission of India (1958) Vol. 1, p 520.
7 Dr. Justice A.S.Anand, H.L. Sarin Memorial Lecture: Legal Education in India — Past, Present andFuture,
(1998) 3 SCC (Jom) 1.
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in promoting social justice. Education or awareness of laws, characterize the lawyers as
'Social engineers'.
II. LEGAL EDUCATION IN MUGHAL ERA:
The Mughal period in India began with the invasion by Babar in 1525 and extended till
the ascendancy of British dominion in India. During this period the Emperor was the head
of the judiciary. As Islamic jurisprudence is derived from the Quran, it is treated as
immutable by any human agency. Further, the Sunna, which helped in explaining the
Quran also became a major source. A system of courts, following formal procedures, to
adjudicate criminal and civil cases, came to be established with Mughal rule. The
adoption of rules of evidence, introduced further complexities in administration and
seeking of justice. These changes in the legal system necessitated the involvement of
legal experts, who were addressed as Vakils. Also, two Mughal Codes, the Figh-e-Firoz
Shahai and the Fatwa-e-Alamgiri were adopted to deal with the duties of Vakil. Thus,
legal professionals began to play an important role in the administration of justice.
Though the Mughal legal system was extended mostly to the towns, in religious matters,
disputants were allowed to settle their disputes in accordance with their religious,
including Hindu, customs. Further, at the village level, Panchayats continued to exercise
their powers to adjudicate on most disputes except those involving serious crime.
However, an unsatisfied party could prefer an appeal from the decision of the Panchayat
before the court established under the Mughal law. 8
Portuguese entry to India brought their judicial system and legal concepts. The judicial
system in Goa from the entry of Portuguese i.e. 1510 to 1964 assumes importance as
Portuguese were the first to establish and the last colonial power to leave Indian shores.
Further, the Portuguese rule in Goa is different from British rule in the rest of the country as
the former entered Goa as a representative of Sovereign King as compared to the later who
entered the parts of India as a company of traders. Therefore, the administration of justice
was the responsibility of the King of Portugal right from 1510. Moreover, the judicial system
in Goa was based on continental jurisprudence as opposed to common law system followed
by British in the rest of India. As far as representation is concerned only the following two
persons were entitled to represent clients9- Bachelors formed or Licentiate in Law, and those
who have provision of license to practice advocacy.
Formal legal education in India came into existence in 1855 when the first professorship of
law was established at the Government Elphinstone College in Bombay and Madras and
9 Article 84, Advocates and Judicial Procurator Decree No. 14.453 of 1927.
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Hindu College at Calcutta. At that time the primary aim of legal education was to equip law
students so that they could help the lower courts and the High Courts in the administration of
justice by enrolling themselves as Vakils or becoming judicial officers, and thus serve the
interests of the Administration. There was no tradition of legal research and academic legal
training. In the year, 1857 legal education was introduced as a subject for teaching in three
universities in the presidency towns of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. Thus, a beginning of
the formal legal education was made in the sub-continent. The language of the British statutes
being English, so any Indian who learnt English could study law and was considered
qualified to practice the profession. At that time law classes were attached with arts colleges.
However, if one aspired to something higher, he could go to England and join the Inns court,
provided one could afford it.
Article 45 of Indian Constitution says ― “The State shall endeavor to provide, within a
period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution free and compulsory
education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.” But to utter bitter
surprise even after more than 60 glorious years of independence the MDM (Mid-Day Meal)
12 Reform of Legal Education in India, Bar Council of India, Web. 4 October 2015.
<http://www.barcouncilofindia.org/wp-
content/uploads/2010/07/LegalEducationReformRecommendations.pdf>.
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and other such schemes are also not enchanting enough to impart basic education leave
behind legal education.
Legal study promotes accuracy of the expression, facility in arguments and skill in
interpreting the written words, as well as some understanding of social values. So Law acts as
the cementing material of society and an essential medium of social change. A well
administered and socially relevant legal education is a sine qua non for a proper dispensation
of justice. Giving legal education a human face would create cultured law abiding citizens
able to serve as professionals and not merely as business men. It is pivotal duty of everyone
13 Menon, N.R. Madhava, A National Policy on Legal Education, Indian Bar Review, Vol. 8 (2) 1981, P.290.
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to know the law. Ignorance of law is not innocence but a sin which cannot be excused. Thus,
legal education is imperative not only to produce good lawyers but also to create cultured law
abiding citizens, who are inculcated with concepts of human values, legal ethics and human
rights.
REGULATIONS:
The Constitution of India basically laid down the duty of imparting education on the states by
putting the matter pertaining to education in List II of the Seventh Schedule. But it now forms
part of List III, giving concurrent legislative powers to the Union and the States. Legal
profession along with the medical and other professions also falls under List III (Entry 26).
However, the Union is empowered to co-ordinate and determines standards in institutions for
higher education or research and scientific and technical institutions besides having exclusive
power, inter alia, pertaining to educational institutions of national importance, professional,
vocational or technical training and promotion of special studies or research.
Taking the stock of situation the Bar Council of India started All India Bar Examination form
the academic year 2009-10 onwards for maintaining the standards of legal education in the
14 See 184th Report On The Legal Education & Professional Training and Proposals for
Amendments to the Advocates Act, 1961 and the University Grants Commission Act, 1956,
Law Commission of India, December, 2002.
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country and the regulation and setting of uniform standards across the nation. The legal
education which was one of the most important points referred to the Law Commission was
from time to time investigated into by several commissions and committees such as the
Calcutta University Commission (1917-19) the University Commission (1948-49), The
Bombay Legal Education Committee (1949), All India Bar Committee (1953), The Rajasthan
Legal Education Committee(1955). All of them were of the view that the prevailing system of
legal education in the country required improvement in various directions. The result of such
investigations of the above said commissioners and committees on legal education in India
was very aptly contrasted with the system functioning in Europe and America by
Radhakrishanan Commission.
CHALLENGES
Half a century ago, the main purpose of university legal education in India was not the
teaching of law as a branch of learning and as a science but simply to impart to students a
knowledge of the black letter law, that is, certain principles and provisions of law to enable
them to enter the legal practice exclusively for local needs. Gradually this perception changed
and the process of reform in law and legal education was initiated. The real break came in
1990s when the new challenges posed by scientific and technological revolution and greater
interaction between nations, trade in goods and services, information technology and free
capital flow across international boundaries made the world a global village. Consequently,
the concept of “local practice” widened to that of “transnational practice” in the context of
globalization and opening up of most of the economies of the world. Never before in history
has the need for sound thinking and planning on all issues been felt so intensely as today.
Unless the topics of universal application are integrated into legal education in developing
countries, our lawyers and those of other countries would not be able to compete in the
transnational marketplace. In the present day, an innovative programme of integrated
interdisciplinary legal learning and in the new areas such as Comparative Law, information
technology, intellectual property, corporate governance, human rights, environment, and
international trade law, investment, and commerce, transfer of technology, alternative dispute
resolution and space is important. Comparative Legal education for professional excellence is
needed in these and other areas on a global basis.15
15 Devadas T.M., History of Legal Education in India, Stripped Law, 14 November 2010.
Web. 5 October 2015. < http://strippedlaw.blogspot.com.tr/2010/11/history-of-legal-
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The present age Legal Education in India is not satisfactory. It requires medical changes. The
law in an instrument of change. It plays a very important role in the reconstruction of the
society; our Constitution has given guarantee to its citizen‘s social, economic and political
justice. Challenges in legal profession are fast changing with the advent of 5 years integrated
courses, the MNC‘s offer for corporate legal employment has be opened widely. Very
handsome package is being offered to NLU pass outs. These fresher‘s discard the other
options, drying up options of becoming a bright lawyer. The Directive Principles of State
Policy as enshrined in the Constitution of India, attempt to transform society, social economic
and political aspirations of the people have changed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
India needs a very vibrant and socially relevant legal education and professional institutions.
This would be possible only when innovative steps are taken in higher legal education and
research to make it globally relevant and prominent. Improvement in the quality of higher
legal education and legal research will go a long way in transforming India into a global
knowledge power in the coming years. The examination system of our universities is
defective. It is illusion. It is out dated and obsolete. It is hardly test or examination. Legal
Education requires special attention in the present context. It is evident from 184th Report of
Law Commission of India (2002) that the Commission made important contributions with
regard to standard of legal education in India. On the subject of legal education Hon’ble
Supreme Court Constituted 3- Members Committee to studying the situation of legal
education in India. The Committee gave important suggestions for revamping the status of
legal education in the country. In 2007, the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) was
constituted by Hon’ble Prime Minister under the Chairmanship of Dr. Sam Pitroda. The
working group of legal education was constituted by National Knowledge Commission and
the Group has made many important suggestions.
In order to make legal education more useful, purposeful and meaningful to the community in
general and the Law students, advocates, legislatures, judges, bureaucrats, administrators, and
law teachers in particular, the following suggestions deserve special attention:
It is pertinent to mention here that there is a need to check the entry of the non-serious
students to join law courses. There is also need to design and teach law courses in the
education-in-india.html>.
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same way as other professional courses in medicine, engineering, architecture,
commerce etc. have been designed and are being thought to them.
Moreover, establishing judicial academies in the Law Schools. Judicial and decision-
making cannot be contained and taught with the regular legal study. Judicial skills are
very different from the skills of that of a Lawyer. This must be understood and
attempts made to help students equip themselves with judicial skills as well.
It is strongly suggested that participation in legal literacy and legal aid should also be
made compulsory for all the law students, of thus making then improve in helping the
legal aid clients in courts. The law colleges should be linked with courts and there
should be co-ordination between lawyers, judges, law teacher and students. Law
students should compulsory attend the court seriously. The programme should be
organized to update the legal knowledge in collaboration with students, teachers,
lawyers and judges.
The important suggestion in this regard is awareness of legal education in the society.
To make people aware about their rights and duties it is very much imperative that
without legal education it could not be possible. Lok Adalats, legal aid programs now
a day are the part of the Statute but the basic root is the concept of legal education. So
proper emphasis should be placed on the field of legal education. The various
suggestions which have been made by Law Commission of India should be
implemented with latter and spirit.16
CONCLUSION
Law is more a passion than a subject and law teaching should be done with passion, and
dedication. This would require a change in strategy in class room education as well as
practical training. A good law school should equip students for various opportunities that
exist in the legal job market, and this can be done only if a student is trained to acquire all the
essential skills required for a lawyer. It is beyond doubt that theoretical classes and for that
simulation exercises would not be fully able to inculcate such skills in the minds of law
students. These skills can be inculcated only if the students, who have been giving basic
training about legal theory, are involved in practical issues and actively encouraged to derive
16 Sharma, Tanuja, Legal Education in India- An Overview, Journal Of Legal Analysis AndResearch, Volume 2,
Issue 1, March 2015.
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solutions on their own. With all its merits the existing methods of teaching cannot help the
law students to get an in depth knowledge about the practical aspects of law. Though the
simulation techniques like Moot Courts, mock trials, client counseling sessions, drafting
lessons etc would to an extent inculcate these skills, they are no match to the practical issues
learned from actual practice of law. Hence Law schools should give preference to experiential
learning than to class room teaching. Clinics set up in various subjects should be used as a
method to teach law students about the areas of practice. This should be uniformly put to
practice in all law schools of the country.17
India being a common law country has an advantage of having a legal system which is
similar to many other countries of the world. As a consequence, firms from other countries
visit the top law schools to handpick talent. Legal education is an investment, which if wisely
made will produce most beneficial results for the nation and accelerate the pace of
development. These are few suggestions for achieving a country for which we dream every
day and night. The legal Education and the profession have to care for the invisible man. The
Advocate has to become socially more relevant and technically very sound if he has to
survive and serve the needs of the society in the 21st Century.18
REFERENCES
BOOKS:
V.D. Kulshreshtha’s Landmarks in Indian Legal and Constitutional History by
B.M.Gandhi, Tenth Edition, Eastern Book Company, Lucknow.
S.P. Sathe, Access to Legal Education and the Legal Profession in India, (Rajeev
Dhavan Ed., Butterworths, London, 1989).
17 Global Legal Education And India Law Essays. Law Teacher. LawTeacher.net, November
2013. Web. 6 October 2015. <http://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/educational-
law/global-legal-education-and-india-law-essays.php?cref=1>.
18 Dr. Ranbir Singh, Director, NALSAR, Reforms in Legal Education and Legal Profession
in India, Andhra Law Times 1998 (6) 95: 15-18.
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ARTICLES:
A.S. Anand, Legal Education in India - Past, Present and Future, 3 S.C.C. (Jour.) 1
(1998).
REPORTS:
Law Commission of India, 14th Report on Reform of Judicial Administration (1958).
Law Commission of India, 184th Report on the Legal Education and Professional
Training and Proposal for Amendments to the Advocates Act 1961 and the University
Grants Commission Act 1956.
WEBSITES:
http://www.barcouncilofindia.org
http://lexreporterindia.com
http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in
http://sarins.org
http://www.indiaeducation.net
http://www.lawteacher.net
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