The Madras High Court has urged the Government of Tamil Nadu to find a suitable site within Chennai's city limits for the operations of Madras Law College, according to a LiveLaw report.
Established in 1891, the law college, which is currently known as the Dr Ambedkar Government Law College, originally operated from a historic building near the Madras High Court in Chennai. However, it was subsequently relocated to Tiruvallur and Chengalpettu Districts.
Court warrants campus to be moved to Chennai
The bench of judges comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy observed that legal education had evolved significantly. They further emphasised the importance of the move that it now encompasses not only classroom learning but also practical exposure and engagement.
Hence, the court expressed the view that establishing a campus in Chennai, where the high court is located, would be advantageous for law students.
These remarks were made during the hearing of several pleas and petitions filed by law students requesting authorities to ensure adequate facilities as per the Rules of Education, 2008, and the guidelines issued by the Bar Council of India, LiveLaw reported.
The court agreed with Senior Advocate NGR Prasad's arguments, who asserted that the students faced a significant disadvantage as they were unable to attend court proceedings or secure part-time positions at law firms due to the distance between the campus and the city.
College divided in two campuses in 2015
In the year 2015, the college was divided and relocated to campuses in Tiruvallur and Chengalpettu, after the original academic building was deemed unsafe due to damages from the Metro Rail project.
The court acknowledged that while the circumstances at that time may have warranted the college's relocation into far-flung areas, but now, it is of the opinion that it is in the best interest of the students to consider shifting the college campus back to the city.
The court had further instructed the Government Advocate to seek guidance from the state regarding locating a suitable site for this purpose.