Requirement for law students to sit their examinations in person, postponed until next year
31 ޖުލައި 2026 | ހުކުރު 17:48The Bar Council of the Maldives has deferred the mandatory requirement for law students to sit for physical examinations until 2027. This decision follows student concerns and guidance from the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA) to allow educational institutions sufficient time for administrative preparations. Consequently, currently enrolled students will be permitted to complete their courses through online examinations as previously practiced.
A file photo from a ceremony where legal practitioners were sworn in. | Raajje MV
The requirement for law degree students to attend examinations in person, which was scheduled to take effect this August, has been postponed until next year.
On July 20, the Bar Council of the Maldives published revised regulations outlining the minimum standards for law degree programs, aimed at enhancing and maintaining the quality of legal education.
Under the authority granted to the Bar Council by the Legal Profession Act, these newly established standards are mandatory for all institutions providing legal education in the Maldives. Among the changes introduced by the Bar Council are requirements for examinations to be conducted physically, alongside revised standards for the use of the English language as a medium of instruction in these courses.
Following the introduction of this policy, a large number of students have expressed their concerns and called for its revision, even launching an online petition to gather signatures.
In a statement released Thursday, the Bar Council noted that implementing the new regulations next month would present significant administrative and technical challenges for legal education providers. The Council further stated that the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA) had proposed allowing a grace period for institutions to revise previously accredited programs and resubmit them for accreditation in accordance with the new standards.
In light of this proposal, the Bar Council announced in a statement that it has decided to implement its established regulations starting from the year 2027.
The petition, signed by more than 400 students, highlights that many candidates face significant challenges in attending the examination in person. It further notes that not all students reside in Male', making physical attendance difficult. The students expressed that such abrupt changes cause substantial hardship and called upon the Bar Council to reverse its decision.
Furthermore, the students' petition requested that all currently enrolled students be granted the full opportunity to complete their courses online, in accordance with the terms of the agreements they initially signed.
