SC greenlights Bar flunkers’ virtual refresher course
An online refresher course was allowed by the Supreme Court (SC) for law graduates who have failed thrice in Bar examinations.
This, on condition that they should show satisfactory results for them to qualify in the scheduled Bar examination this year.
The High Tribunal in a resolution said for online classes to be valid as a refresher course, they “shall be conducted synchronously through video conferencing.”
Authorized law schools are only allowed to offer refresher courses under valid special government permits issued by the Legal Education Board, while traditional on-site classes are still allowed subject to hygiene requirements.
Three-time Bar flunkers have the burden to show to the satisfaction of the Court they have enrolled in and passed regular fourth year review classes as well as attended pre-Bar review course in a recognized law school.
Reviews on political/ constitutional law, labor law, civil law, taxation, commercial law, criminal law, and remedial law are the subjects that should be reviewed by three-time Bar flunkers.
The objective in requiring refresher courses is to make sure those who previously failed the Bar examinations undertake the necessary steps to prepare before taking it again.
The online Bar examinations for the 2020 and 2021 law graduates are slated in November. The 2020 Bar examinations were postponed due to the corona virus disease 2019 pandemic.