Supreme Court Cuts LLB Program to Four Years, Abolishes CLE for Foreign Graduates

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday issued a landmark ruling, reducing the duration of the LLB programme from five years to four years in a bid to streamline legal education and bring reforms to the sector.

A five-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, heard the case about legal education reforms and issued aims at improving the quality and accessibility of legal studies in the country.

In a significant relief for overseas graduates, the court also abolished the Competency Licensing Exam (CLE) requirement for individuals who have earned law degrees from foreign institutions.

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, a member of the bench, emphasised the need to raise academic standards in local law colleges. Citing the case of SM Law College, he stated that any deficiencies in its functioning should be corrected rather than used as grounds for closure. “SM Law College existed even before the creation of Pakistan,” he noted.