More than 150 Bachelor of Law (LLB) graduates from Nepal Open University have been barred from taking the Nepal Bar Council examination for advocate licenses.
Bar Council informed Nepal Open University that its students could not appear for the licensing exam, citing non-compliance with the required requirements and worries about the course of the LLB program.
The Nepal Open University has been providing a three-year LLB program since 2075. Shilu Manandhar Bajracharya, the university's vice-chancellor, voiced dissatisfaction with the Council's decision and emphasized that all classes had been held online while adhering to established standards."Students who have successfully completed our three-year LLB program have been unfairly disqualified from taking the Nepal Bar Council examination," asserted Bajracharya.
According to the curriculum of Section 5 of the Nepal Bar Council Act, 2050, and Rule 4 (1) of the Council's Curriculum and Examination Regulations, 2079, the council is conducting the 31st examination of advocates on the Mangsir 22 and 23, 2080.
The examination will consist of a written test worth 200 marks, 100 of which will be multiple choice questions on the law and the constitution. The remaining 100 will be for draft writing and translation. The council notified the candidates of the new syllabus and examination format.
Students are concerned about how the decision will impact their future and legal careers. Students were denied entry to the licensing examination; their professional goals are now considerably more uncertain.
