Pakistan , India follow UK annual system for law education
Demand for semester was unjustified; LLB is a professional degree which
follows Bar Council rules: Principal Shazia Qureshi

LAHORE : (Thursday, January 14, 2010): Punjab University Law College In-charge Principal Shahzia Naureen Qureshi has said that Pakistan and India both follow British system in teaching law education and there was annual system of teaching law in Britain . She said demand for implementing semester system and protests in this regard by some students were unjustified. She was addressing a press conference along with law college teachers after some students blocked the main Canal Road . However after successful talks with students the road was opened for the traffic. Assistant professor Samee Ozair, Aman Ullah, Ms Rabia Razzaq and other teachers were also present on the occasion.

The principal told the media that these students were also demanding 40 percent pass aggregate instead of 45 percent. She said both the demands were against the interest of the students' community. She said LLB was a professional degree and it follows Pakistan Bar Council rules & regulations. On demand of the bar council and teachers, the semester system was eliminated from the Law College and according to bar council rules, 45% aggregate was a must to issue license to a law graduate for practice. She said Bar Council was a licensing authority of the lawyers and the syllabus and rules were set in consultation with the bar council. She said if the bar council approves 40% aggregate to pass LLB, then PU would also approve it otherwise the students would face a lot of problems.

Ms Qureshi said in the light of decisions taken by the Punjab University Academic Council and Syndicate, the annual system was implemented in the Law College in the best interest of the students. She said that another reason for implementing annual system was that in all affiliated colleges the annual system was in practice therefore PU was establishing uniform education system in the discipline of law.

Replying to a question, Samee Ozair said that students blocked the road for traffic but after successful negotiations the road was opened for the traffic. He said the students were like their own children and administration was taking all decisions in the best interest of the students.