A BRIEF HISTORY OF LEGAL EDUCATION IN NEPAL

 In Nepal, the first law college- Nepal Law College (present Nepal Law Campus) was established in October 21, 1954 (Kartik 5, 2011B.S.) in Kathmandu.  Affiliated to Patna University, the college started to produce law graduates in the country but the course of study consisted, for the most part, of Indian laws. The affiliation was transferred to Tribhuvan University in the year 1960 after legal education was recognized under the National Education System Plan (NESP). Certificate and Diploma levels in Law were commenced under the Institute of Law in 1972. These two programs together covering a period of five years after School Leaving Certificate (SLC) significantly made a great breakthrough in the legal education system by incorporating Nepalese laws in the courses of study.

In the 1980-1986 Tribhuvan University underwent a massive restructuring. Consequently, the Institute of Law renamed as the Faculty of Law empowered to frame academic and coordinate activities concerning legal education in Nepal.

Previous Law Programs

 In Nepal, students who completed SLC could seek admission in Proficiency level in Law, and on the fulfillment of all the criteria of admission as set by Tribhuvan University and the campus they used to get enrolled for a study of two years. This type of provision is not found in most other universities as it raises the question of practicality and appropriateness to enroll school pass students to professional legal education. Naturally, they seem to be not matured enough for complex legal concepts and for acquiring lawyering skills.

In 1972 the Institute of Law prepared a 2-years comprehensive curriculum for legal education, which consisted of elementary law subjects and some Humanities and Social Science subjects for the Proficiency Certificate level. Of the 1100 marks 600 full marks were given to law subjects and the remaining 400 marks were set aside for Social Science, Humanities and language subjects. Career opportunities for those who crossed the Proficiency Certificate in Law was that they were qualified for entering government and public and private enterprises and eligible for admission at the Bachelor level first year. Before the implementation of the Bar Act, they could plead up to Appellate Courts within the country.

Tribhuvan University phased out Proficiency Certificate Level in Law (P.C.L.) since the academic year 1995. Bachelor of Law (B.L.) programme is existing for those students who completed Proficiency Certificate level in Law. The B.L. curriculum consists of law subjects (compulsory and optional) and some Humanities and Social Sciences subjects. The practical courses of study contain moot-court.