A significant number of individuals are driven to pursue a career in law due to their aspiration of donning the esteemed black robe and administering justice within a legal context. One can explore the educational opportunities in Bangladesh, such as pursuing a Bangladeshi LLB Honours (Hons) degree or obtaining a qualifying law degree from the United Kingdom.
Private universities such as North South University (NSU) and BRAC University provide LLB degrees that specifically emphasize Bangladeshi law, much like state colleges. Legal education in the United Kingdom is provided by a limited number of schools, such as LCLS and NLA.
Cost is a crucial factor for any student while selecting a degree program. An LLB (Hons) degree in the UK is generally more cost-effective compared to a law degree, although the specific cost may vary depending on the university and whether it is a public or private institution.
Students must remunerate course providers, such as the University of London, with a module registration and assessment entry fee, or registered teaching centers, on a monthly and yearly basis. This contributes to the elevated expense of obtaining a law degree in the United Kingdom.
Over a period of time, the cumulative expenses exceed BDT 10 lakhs, and they consistently increase every year. Before 2024, students have the option to individually enroll in classes and bypass the payment of teaching centre costs. Starting in 2024, the University of London has indicated that students will need to register through the teaching centers in order to enroll in classes.
Many recent graduates of the LLB program at the British School of Law in the United Kingdom, stated that she chose UK law due to the fact that many of our legal systems laws originated from UK law during the British rule. This implies that personal preferences are a factor in the decision-making process. Thus, I concluded that pursuing the British LLB, rather than the LLB (Hons) degree, would offer me a more solid foundation in the fundamental concepts that underpin our justice system.
Additionally, there are disparities in both the subject matter covered and the length of the course. The British LLB program typically spans three years, but the LLB (Hons) degree program extends over a period of four years. Moreover, the graduate entry option enables those who already hold a degree to obtain an LLB by completing only 9 subjects, as opposed to the 12 subjects necessary in the undergraduate program. However, the duration of the course remains unchanged.
Another differentiation lies in the fact that LLB (Hons) students may have to do supplementary courses in addition to the ones mandated for an LLB, despite the fact that all twelve subjects in an LLB are pertinent to the legal system in the UK. Mere acquisition of legal knowledge is insufficient; lawyers must also possess a strong foundation in history and other pertinent disciplines.
There are variations in the formats of exams. Since 2020, all subjects in the LLB curriculum have been evaluated through online open-book examinations. The examinations for the Bangladeshi bar are almost always closed-book. With the exception of a single exam, all of the classes were conducted without the use of textbooks and is still now the same in 2024. The questions on an open-book examination are more demanding, nevertheless, I still have a preference for it over a closed-book examination. Although you may not expect to remember every single word of the Act, you can familiarize yourself with it and effectively utilize it during an open book test.
Contrary to the British LLB, it is possible that you will be required to participate in a viva voce examination when studying for an LLB (Hons) degree, especially at public universities. It is essential to be prepared to respond to inquiries on any topic, regardless of their origin. Regard it as a self-contained subject of examination.
The two degrees provide contrasting educational experiences; the British LLB is delivered in teaching centers, whilst the LLB (Hons) is delivered at universities. Due to the relatively tiny size of these campuses, students at these schools may be unable to partake in extracurricular activities such as clubs or moot court. In my perspective, this is a significant factor to take into account because of the considerable duration needed to obtain this degree.
The primary contrast between the two degrees lies in the motivation for acquiring them. The prospect of becoming a barrister upon completion of the Bar Training Course is a significant attraction for students studying British law, in contrast to students from Bangladeshi law schools.
If you do not have any desire to pursue a career as a barrister, it is extremely challenging to rationalize the decision to study UK law. Opting for a Bachelor of Laws (Honors) degree would be the more cost-effective decision in that particular scenario.
In essence, the results, methods, and frameworks of Bangladeshs and the UKs legal systems are fundamentally dissimilar.
In Bangladesh, some of the pressing issues include human rights violations, lack of access to justice, and lack of independence of the judiciary. However, in the United Kingdom, these issues are given greater priority. Those who support reforms that improve legal institutions and uphold the rule of law worldwide can gain from the understanding of these differences and the analysis of relevant statistics by politicians, legal practitioners, and civil society.
Samin Sadnan is an undergraduate law student currently studying under University of London. He received two world highest scores ir his O-Levels exam. He is also an entrepreneur with two big business pages online!
