Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Friday said that the university education in law should be extended to the rural areas so that students from small towns are not deprived of the opportunity to become lawyers. CJI Chandrachud also said that despite developments in legal education, the current legal education system mostly benefits English-speaking urban children.
“Technology has given us the ability to reach out to far-flung students. Despite developments in legal education, the contemporary legal education system favours only English-speaking urban children,” CJI Chandrachud said while speaking at the inauguration event of the Dr Rajendra Prasad National Law University, Prayagraj.
The Chief Justice also said that children from diverse backgrounds are unable to get admission to major universities as they are not able to speak English. "A survey conducted on diversity in five law universities shows that children from diverse backgrounds are unable to get admission in these universities due to not being able to speak English,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
He further stated that moot courts, internships, and competitions have traditionally been designed keeping in mind the youngsters coming from the elite section of society. “Law colleges and universities should design it keeping in mind children coming from diverse backgrounds,” he said.
Speaking on the role of lawyers in society, the CJI said, “Lawyers play a crucial and multi-faceted role in society, contributing to the functioning of the legal system and promoting justice. They represent individuals and entities ensuring that their rights are protected. This includes criminal defence, civil litigation and advocacy for various legal issues.”
He also requested the university administration to keep the medium of instruction to be Hindi, so that the best students from Uttar Pradesh become the best lawyers. “Since the Indian Independence movement to the Constitution making process and to contemporary Indian politics, lawyers have significantly contributed to nation building,” he said.