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The Star
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Malaysian Bar to hold first MyBar Carnival in September
PETALING JAYA: Touted as a legal adventure like no other, the Malaysian Bar is bringing the law closer to the public with its inaugural MyBar Carnival 2025 in September. A knowledge-packed extravaganza that not only illustrates how the law influences every aspect of our daily lives but also promises to make understanding legal matters easy and exciting for all attendees. Malaysian Bar secretary Murshidah Mustafa stated that the carnival aims to bridge the gap between the legal community and the public, as well as educate and empower the public with knowledge of Malaysian law. She mentioned that during the event, the Bar also aims to enlighten the public on how members of the legal fraternity fulfil their daily responsibilities in upholding justice and the rule of law. "The legal profession does not exist in isolation. At its core, it serves the people. This carnival is our way of breaking down barriers and creating a space where the public can connect with the law and its practitioners. Our goal is to make the law more accessible and relatable," Murshidah said. She said that law firms, tech companies, government agencies, and Bar Council committees are among the participants in the event. Murshidah said chambering students and young lawyers would also have the opportunity to network and engage with mentors and other industry players. In a simple ceremony on Friday evening (June 20), members of the Bar's organising committee carried out a soft launch of the event at its office here. Malaysian Bar treasurer and co-chairperson R. Jayabalan said the MyBar Carnival 2025 was the first of its kind and will showcase the role of the Bar Council beyond courtrooms. He encouraged aspiring lawyers to attend the event to gain deeper insights into the legal profession "It will be a one-stop legal carnival. We hope to foster stronger ties with communities, and this is why we will be bringing everything related to the legal industry. The public can learn about the Bar's committees that oversee various issues, such as animal rights. Beyond highlighting the legal profession's role in society, the event will show that it's a supportive and approachable force that stands with the people," Jayabalan told the Star. He said the Malaysian Bar would have approximately 40 booths at the event, offering multiple services, including career guidance and legal consultation. Jayabalan said the event would also offer employment opportunities and internship programmes. He said the event would be held on Sept 21 at the KLIA Ekspres Arrival Hall at KL Sentral, between 9am and 5pm.
Free Malaysia Today
11 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Bar Council sets RM1,350 minimum wage for pupils in chambers
In a survey, the Bar Council found that 83% of pupils were already receiving at least RM1,000 a month, with the low-pay phenomenon prevalent among firms outside the Klang Valley. PETALING JAYA : The Bar Council has set the national minimum wage for pupils in chambers at RM1,350, with the new rate becoming mandatory for law firms in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya beginning April next year. Firms in other states will be allowed to reach the prescribed minimum sum in phases, beginning with a baseline pay of RM1,000. However, they must raise salaries to at least RM1,200 by 2027, before aligning with the national minimum in 2028. The council acknowledged that many legal firms, particularly in major urban centres, already pay more than RM1,350, but said it was obliged to set a minimum pay to ensure that pupils do not fall below the poverty line. The new rates are based on a recommended remuneration framework developed by EconWorks, an economic advisory firm engaged by the Malaysian Bar. 'The rate of minimum remuneration is subject to periodic review. Any adjustment will be announced by the Bar at least 12 months before implementation of the new rate. 'Any increase in the rate should be guided by the average annual increase of the median monthly salary in Malaysia,' the council said in a circular to members issued this week. In its key findings from the survey, EconWorks said 83% of pupils were already receiving at least RM1,000 a month with the low-pay phenomenon prevalent among firms outside the Klang Valley. The survey found that lower wages were more prevalent among smaller law firms. It said most pupils are based in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, where remuneration typically exceeds the minimum income required to meet basic living needs, with some firms paying as high as RM2,500. The median pupil pay in Johor and Penang was found to be RM1,500. 'In other states, many pupils are still paid below the poverty line income threshold of RM1,000. Law firms in Terengganu and Kelantan pay the lowest, at RM500,' it said, adding that 17% of pupils currently receive under RM1,000 a month.
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Failed MU law students discover that answer sheets were not fully evaluated
MUMBAI: In yet another serious systemic lapse, this time in the examination department, the University of Mumbai's (MU) law faculty failed several students, who later found that their detailed answers in their taxation law and Bharatiya Sakhshya Adhiniyam papers had not been assessed at all. After the results, announced nearly a month and a half after the exam, showed these unexpectedly low marks, the students requested photocopies of their answer sheets. They were shocked to find that responses worth nearly 50 out of 75 marks were marked as 'NA' (Not Assessed) during the online evaluation process. Altaf Detha, a student from a Chembur-based college, was among those who failed. 'When I saw my result, I was taken aback,' he said. 'I come from a commerce background and have also done a Company Secretary course. Taxation law is my favourite subject, and I have always scored well in it during college exams.' Following the disappointing result, Detha applied for a copy of his answer sheet and a re-evaluation. 'Even though I had written detailed answers to all the questions covering 50 out of 75 marks, those questions were not checked,' he said. 'At the end of the answer sheet, the evaluator simply wrote 'NA' against more than half the questions.' Another final-year student, who did not want to be named, faced a similar issue. His Bhartiya Sakhshya Adhiniyam (formerly the Indian Evidence Act) paper also had multiple answers left unchecked. 'We have complained to the university administration but no concrete action has been taken yet,' he said. 'Our entire careers are at stake. I pursued law with the aim of beginning legal practice. But with the Bar Council exam around the corner, we won't be able to register or apply for further education because of these errors.' When Detha and the other student visited MU's examination department, they found several other students there with similar complaints. Student organisations have stepped in, demanding urgent action. Advocate Sachin Pawar, a student activist, called the issue 'extremely serious'. 'This is nothing short of playing with the future of students,' he said. 'These repeated blunders, be they during online exams, in marksheets, or now in evaluation, show a serious flaw in the system. The university must act against those responsible or we will be forced to launch a strong protest.' Senate member Pradeep Sawant has also taken the matter seriously and demanded strict action against the culprits. Pooja Roundale, director, Board of Examination and Evaluation, said 'MU adopted the OSM (On-Screen Marking) computer-based answer sheet evaluation system from May 2017. With this system, examiners can check answer sheets online by sitting in the computer lab of their college. During evaluation, if some questions in the answer sheet are not solved by the students, or some pages are blank, the examiner records a remark like NA (Not Attempted) in the system.' Roundale further stated that the law faculty had very few evaluators. 'After reviewing the answer sheets of the students concerned, we found that it was on account of a human error, and action has been initiated against the evaluator concerned,' she said. 'The university will make necessary improvements in the computer system to prevent such human errors from happening again.'
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Up to 80% of answers not assessed in taxation law papers, find final-year students; Mumbai University says it was ‘human error'
Mumbai: Many final-year law students from Mumbai University were stumped to see up to 80% of their answers were not assessed in the photocopies of their answersheets. Mumbai University, in a statement, admitted that it was a human error and said action has been initiated. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When many students scored in single digits in their Law of Taxation paper in the three-year LLB programme, they applied for photocopies, and found that many of the questions were marked as 'Not Attempted'. A student said he was shocked to get only 10 marks in the Law of Taxation paper when he got the results on June 9. He cleared all other subjects. "I am a commerce student and was confident about clearing the taxation paper. When I sought the photocopy of my answersheet, it showed that only 16 marks of the 75-mark question paper was assessed. The remaining questions were not touched by the examiner," said the student. When he approached the university, he found many more students had come with the same grievance. "In our group alone, we have 96 affected students from across law colleges," he said, adding that many are waiting to appear for the Bar Council exams, or seek admissions to LLM, or to get placed. He further said that they did not any satisfactory response from the examination office. The students are now seeking an corrective action at the earliest. The director of the board of examinations said the number of evaluators for law papers is very low. "After reviewing the answer sheets, it was found that a few questions were assessed. This mistake was due to a human error, the concerned examiners have been informed and action has been taken," said the official.
India Gazette
a day ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Bar Council stands by foreign law firm policy amid SILF resistance
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): The Bar Council of India (BCI) has initiated a nationwide consultative process led by a high-level expert committee to review feedback on its amended Rules for Registration and Regulation of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2025. The move comes amid criticism from the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), which the BCI has accused of monopolising access to international legal work and misrepresenting the broader interests of the Indian legal community. The expert panel, chaired by eminent corporate lawyer Cyril Shroff, includes senior legal figures such as Ajay Bahl, Suhail Nathani, Sandip Bhagat, Mahesh Agarwal, and Amit Kapur. It has been tasked with collecting and incorporating stakeholder suggestions while reaffirming the BCI's commitment to fairness, accountability, and legal sovereignty. The Bar Council has invited written submissions from law firms, professionals, and the public within 15 days. The points of reference for the consultation are available on the official BCI website, according to the BCI statement issued on Thursday... The BCI's response targets what it describes as SILF's 'obstructionist stance,' asserting that the group represents only a small clique of large, established firms and not the majority of India's 90-95% small and mid-sized practices. These emerging firms, the BCI argues, have long been excluded from cross-border legal opportunities due to the gatekeeping and foreign affiliations maintained by SILF's dominant members. The Bar Council emphasised that its amended 2025 Regulations are designed to democratise access to global legal practice, particularly for young lawyers and underrepresented law firms seeking international exposure. Contrary to SILF's claims, BCI clarified that foreign law firms are not permitted to practice Indian law, appear before courts or tribunals, or handle litigation-related matters. The 2025 Regulations, as clarified by the BCI, impose strict boundaries on foreign participation: No practice of Indian law in any form is allowed. No appearances in Indian courts, tribunals, or quasi-judicial authorities (Rule 8(2)(b)). Permitted activities are confined to advisory roles involving foreign law, public/private international law, or international arbitration. Prohibited activities include conveyancing, title verification, and legal drafting related to Indian proceedings (Rule 8(2)(c)). International arbitration participation is allowed only where disputes involve foreign law or non-Indian parties (Rule 8(2)(e)). All foreign firms must first obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Government of India (Rule 4(a)). In a bid to make policymaking more inclusive, BCI has also announced a National Conference of Indian Law Firms to be held in Mumbai in September 2025. The event will provide a platform for nationwide participation, particularly from regional and smaller firms traditionally excluded from SILF's centralised control. Simultaneously, the BCI is working to create a central registry of law firms and their lawyers, which will eventually enable a democratically elected national body to represent India's legal profession--a contrast to SILF, which the BCI notes has not held internal elections for decades. The BCI alleged that SILF's core motivation stems from fear of losing its exclusive foreign work pipeline. 'Many of these same firms already maintain foreign offices or unofficial tie-ups with foreign law firms,' said the Council. 'Their opposition is not to foreign entry per se, but to the possibility that foreign clients may choose to engage with newer and smaller Indian firms instead.' BCI has firmly rejected claims that the amended rules compromise India's legal independence. 'The Regulations explicitly protect Indian legal sovereignty. No foreign lawyer or firm will be allowed to interpret, argue, or practice Indian law,' the statement reads. Any attempt to circumvent the provisions by Indian or foreign entities will attract regulatory action, including monetary penalties, suspension of registration, disqualification, and possible disciplinary or criminal proceedings, the BCI stated in the statement. The BCI has reiterated that the Regulations are legally valid, currently in force, and not under abeyance or judicial challenge. They are designed to uplift the entire legal profession, especially young, talented advocates who seek a global presence. While the Council expressed its openness to genuine concerns, it condemned misinformation campaigns and fear-mongering. 'The BCI is committed to reform--not for the few, but for the many,' it stated. 'The future of Indian law must be inclusive, competitive, and global.' (ANI)
