Legal career is one of the most prestigious careers in the world. And, in law, a Barrister title is very much appreciated. Since the British era, dignity and admiration of barristers have been ingrained among the people of our subcontinent. In Bangladesh, practicing lawyers are known as advocates; in America, lawyers are known as attorneys. Similarly in the UK and Australia, lawyers are known as Barristers. Barristers provide specialist legal advice and represent individuals and organizations in courts and tribunals.
To earn the Barrister title, one needs to complete a British LLB and pass the Bar Practice Course (BPC), which is the qualifying postgraduate course allowing graduates to practice as barristers in England and Wales. One of the great news is that The LLB course on British law can be done by staying in Bangladesh. University of London’s distance learning LLB program is a world-class degree and students around the world choose this degree to boost their career. Under the University of London, there are 7 institutions in Bangladesh from where British LLB can be pursued. The course exams are taken in the British Council, and exam copies are marked by the University of London’s Professors. London is an expensive city so living costs are high. As a result, the benefit of pursuing a British LLB from Staying in Bangladesh is that one can get a world-class degree from home and save a lot of money.
There are several paths to becoming a barrister, some of them are as follows:
After Completing HSC, Alim or O’Levels:
From Bangladesh, after completing HSC, Alim, or, O level, one can complete LLB in 3 years. To do that, students must do a diploma course (CHE) on basic law and then they will be admitted to the LLB course. They must spend 1 year on a diploma and two/three years in LLB courses. In the whole process, the student needs to pass 12 subjects with at least 50 percent of marks.
After completing Honors or Masters:
Unfortunately, the Bar of England doesn’t value an LLB degree from Bangladesh, so any Bangladeshi law graduate needs to study British LLB for two years to become a barrister. Students have to pass eight subjects in these two years in the same manner that an HSC student would complete his or her twelve courses.
Only by completing a British LLB one cannot be a Barrister; one must complete a 9-month BPC training course. The universities that provide BPC courses are The University of Law, The University of the West of England, Cardiff University, The City Law School etc. Although LLB can be completed from Bangladesh to complete BPC, one must go to the UK and stay there. In Bangladesh, the Bar Council gives the license of practicing lawyers, in the UK the certificate for qualifying as Barristers is provided by four different Inns of Court. So, one also needs to be a member of these Inns of courts to become a Barrister. After completing the BPC course, one will be ‘called to the Bar’ by their Inn and will be recognized as Barristers from then on.
After becoming a member of the Bangladesh Bar Council:
One can become a Barrister, after becoming an advocate in Bangladesh. A practicing lawyer can apply for the BTT course which is a Bar transfer course. To complete this course, one must go to the bar for 4-6 months. One doesn’t need to attend any course for BTT in the UK, rather he only needs to sit for the exams. And if one can pass the test, they will be a barrister.
After completing academic and professional courses to practice as a barrister in the UK, one now needs to undertake a period of work-based practical training while supervised by an experienced barrister. This is known as pupillage. However, the process of getting a pupillage is very competitive. On the other hand, if a candidate chooses to return to Bangladesh and become an advocate in Bangladesh, he will still have to sit for the Bangladesh Bar Exam. This means that the barristers we see practicing in Bangladeshi courts are lawyers who have cleared the Bar exam both in Bangladesh and the UK.
One could wonder what the point of investing a lot of money to become a barrister if he must sit an exam in Bangladesh to receive a practicing license like any other Bangladeshi law graduate. This degree is important for those who wish to work in courts because it will provide training to build professional legal abilities such as client dealing, case management, and chief and cross-examination tactics. Unfortunately, there is presently no opportunity in Bangladesh for professional training after earning an LLB. A Bangladeshi law graduate would need to spend several years and effort to master the same abilities that a BPC degree may provide. Moreover, in matters of corporate and international law, barristers are very highly recognized and esteemed.
In conclusion, the path of becoming a Barrister is difficult yet worthwhile.
To read more blogs click here.
Writer,
Sumaiya Islam Sonali
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE