DU moves HC against order asking law faculty to conduct extra classes

The Delhi University today approached the high court here challenging a single judge's order asking the law faculty members to conduct at least 139 hours of extra classes/tutorials for those students who are desirous to attend the lectures to make up for attendance shortage.

The single judge had come down heavily on the Delhi University law teachers for "illegally" detaining around 500 students for lack of attendance and ordered holding of supplementary exams, saying it was a "failure" of the faculty.

A Delhi High Court bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar issued notice to the students today and sought their response on the university's appeal against the order.

In its appeal through senior advocate Arvind Nigam, the varsity contended that the single judge in its July 6 order had totally ignored the fact that all the three law centres had already completed the course within the total number of lectures held.

"Rule 10 of the BCI Rules by no stretch of imagination can be interpreted to stipulate that additional classes should be held even though the entire syllabus of the course has been taught in the semester as per the time table and schedule followed by the law centre," it said.

The students, represented through senior advocates Kirti Uppal and Prashanto Sen and advocate Samarendra Kumar, have also filed caveat in the matter stating that they be also heard.

The bench listed the matter for August 21 after the counsel said that the supplementary examinations are scheduled from August 24.

The university contended in the appeal that the single judge, by passing the judgement, had "over-stressed" the rule that 450 class hours have to be conducted irrespective of the fact that the syllabus for all the subjects for the respective semesters was already completed as planned.

It said no syllabus remained that may be taught to the detained students in these additional classes.

The single judge, while granting relief to the law students, had said the shortfall of attendance was caused due to "failure of faculty of law to conduct minimum classes as prescribed under the Bar Council of India rules".

The court had passed a slew of directions and directed the law faculty members to conduct, within eight weeks, at least 139 hours of extra classes/ tutorials for those students who are desirous to attend the lectures to make up shortage of attendance.

It had said the shortfall of attendance was caused due to "failure of faculty of law to conduct minimum classes as prescribed under the Bar Council of India rules."