Reforming legal education in Pakistan by introducing practical aspects in the current syllabus at the law schools and enhancing compulsory program during pupillage period

Dastagir, Ghulam and Ambaras Khan, Hanna and Hussain, Faridah and Abdul Hak, Nora and Abdul Wahab, Mohd Iqbal (2019) Reforming legal education in Pakistan by introducing practical aspects in the current syllabus at the law schools and enhancing compulsory program during pupillage period. In: International Conference on Legal Education in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges, 27th-28th March 2019, Islamabad, Pakistan. (Unpublished)

	PDF (Programme schedule) - Supplemental Material Restricted to Registered users only Download (5MB) | Request a copy
	PDF (Slides) - Presentation Restricted to Registered users only Download (874kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Teaching method in law schools should facilitate law students with an understanding of legal principles and concepts. Besides, during the studies law students should be able to apply the relevant legal knowledge and skills to solve legal problems. On top of that, the students should be able to demonstrate good drafting and advocacy skills. The challenges facing by legal education in Pakistan is the tendency of maintaining the earlier methods of teaching without making changes for many years which affected the institutions of the country being weakened, and thereafter facing crisis in legal education as highlighted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s recent judgment. Therefore, the stakeholders are expected to make in supporting the order of the Court to revamp and enhance the current legal education. This paper aims to compare the mode of teaching, assessments, and examinations at the law schools in Pakistan and Malaysia by adopting qualitative method and comparative analysis. Besides, syllabus in the law schools in Pakistan and Malaysia are analysed. It is found that the Malaysian universities stressed the practical aspect to the law students. This research will recommend that the syllabus, the method of teaching, assessment and examination, needs to be reformed by looking at the Malaysian practice. The enhancement includes to have a compulsory Legal Attachment Program (“LAP”), revising the final year’s syllabus by including vocational and clinical legal practice subjects in preparing the students for pupillage, to introduce Alternative Dispute Resolution subject in providing skills to resolve dispute through non-adversarial method and to introduce compulsory mooting as part of adversarial skills. The new method will promote the development of the critical thinking and problem-solving skills, team skills, ethics and professionalism for competent lawyers in Pakistan. The paper further suggests that the Pakistan Bar Council to introduce strict ethic’s course for pupil and a legal aid program.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Slide Presentation)
Additional Information:	807/71838
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Advocacy, Clinical legal practices and vocational, Legal Education
Subjects:	K Law > K Law (General) L Education > L Education (General)
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws > Department of Legal Practice Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws
Depositing User:	Prof. Dr. Nora Abdul Hak
Date Deposited:	26 Apr 2019 10:56
Last Modified:	26 Apr 2019 10:57
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/71838

Actions (login required)

View Item