Chief justice orders halt to any new law colleges

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar issued an order recently prohibiting universities across the country from granting affiliation to new law colleges, at the same time barring high courts and subordinate courts from issuing a stay order on the case, writes Saifullah Cheema for Dawn.

During a hearing of a suo motu case at the Supreme Court's Lahore Registry regarding sub-standard law colleges, the chief justice ordered the vice-chancellors of universities that have law college affiliates to submit a signed report detailing the admission criteria, the quota of students as well as the results produced by the colleges.

Justice Nisar also formed a committee to be headed by lawmaker Hamid Khan, to introduce reforms in law colleges. He said that institutions must be strengthened instead of individuals since the latter keep coming and going. He regretted that the institutions of the country were being weakened and stressed the need for competent lawyers instead of those who "sold paan during the day and practised law in the evening". He vowed to reform the standard of legal education in the country within six weeks.
Full report on the Dawn site