Many barriers in legal education and profession; CLAT can be cracked only by those from English medium schools: CJI DY Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Saturday said there are many barriers to access legal education and enter legal profession and cracking the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) was an example of such barrier. .CLAT, the CJI, said can be cracked only by those students who have access to good English medium schools."Only those people can crack CLAT who have access to English schools and good schools. Access to legal profession? We are laying down barriers," he said.The CJI was speaking at a function in Mumbai where he was felicitated by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa.On access to knowledge platforms, the CJI advocated live-streaming of court proceedings, pointing out it would help those students of law who do not have good professors. "The reason I am told why we should not have live streaming is because the lawyer will indulge in theatrics. I am not such a cynic. Of course there will be theatrics. But then the reason is that there will be access to knowledge to law schools who do not have good professors. They can watch any case, and may be have a discussion in the class," CJI Chandrachud explained. .The CJI in his speech reiterated that the legal profession has feudal remnants. He also cited the barrier created by high enrollment fees.On the importance of honing young members of the bar and compensating them well, he added, "I am asked always, why pay so much? One must recognize the value of the intern or lawyer. We must look upon young people as someone who will have valuable contribution to insight. Unless we start paying juniors, we cannot have a democratised bar.".The CJI stressed what young lawyers could bring to the table during court proceedings, including enable judges to gauge the thought process of the young lawyers at the bar. "I always encourage junior lawyers to mention matters in my court. I was asked over tea why I do it. I had 60 mentioning matters and that rose to 110. I was asked why waste time for such things when one can engage in other work. But my belief is with junior lawyers one gets to know the pulse of the nation. When they mention cases, says of a comic who was arrested for a tweet, then one gets to know what is the thought process of the youngsters."Read what CJI said about paying junior lawyers here.Read what CJI said about make judgments available in regional languages here..[Follow our coverage of the event]

Many barriers in legal education and profession; CLAT can be cracked only by those from English medium schools: CJI DY Chandrachud

Neha Joshi

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