Govt reaffirms push for quality in legal education, pledges action against unapproved law programs

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: The Federal Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday reiterated the government’s commitment to upholding legal education standards in Pakistan.

Chairing a high-level meeting here, the minister vowed to prevent the spread of unapproved law programs and assignment-based degrees that bypass academic regulations.

The meeting was attended by Chairperson of the Legal Education Committee Qalb-e-Hassan Shah, Director of Legal Education Barrister Usama Malik, and University of London’s Undergraduate Law Dean, Patricia McKellar.

The focus of the discussion was to review standards in legal education, particularly concerning institutions offering foreign law degrees in Pakistan.

Patricia McKellar assured participants that the University of London adheres to all regulatory requirements set by the Pakistan Bar Council and the Directorate of Legal Education (DLE). She said the university remains fully compliant with Pakistan’s educational policies regarding legal programs.

However, Legal Education Committee Chairperson Qalb-e-Hassan emphasized that no foreign university can operate in Pakistan without prior approval from the Pakistan Bar Council. He raised concerns over institutions replacing final exams with written assignments and warned that such practices harm academic credibility. He stated that this approach would not be allowed to continue.

Director Barrister Usama Malik supported the concern and stressed the need to block assignment-based law degrees. He added that maintaining exam-based assessment is key to preserving the legal profession’s integrity.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar made it clear that the government will not tolerate the unauthorized sale of degrees or adoption of open-book and assignment-based formats that bypass required standards. He said such systems damage the reputation of legal education and undermine trust in the profession.

He highlighted that, over the past two years, the Legal Education Committee and the Directorate of Legal Education have taken action against nearly 50 institutions for failing to meet the required standards. Many of these centers have already been shut down for offering substandard programs.

Under the revised regulations, no law college in Pakistan will be allowed to affiliate with a foreign law program without formal approval from the Pakistan Bar Council. The minister said the government is fully prepared to act against violations and will implement new measures before the start of the upcoming academic session.

The meeting ended with a strong message of coordination between stakeholders to improve legal education and stop unauthorized law programs across the country.