Delhi High Court Restricts Intern Entry Passes to Third-Year and Senior Law Students
The Delhi High Court has issued a circular limiting entry passes and ID cards for interning law students to third-year LL.B. and fourth- and fifth-year integrated course students only, and has set out a five-document requirement for issuance.
The High Court of Delhi has circulated an administrative direction, issued as directed by the Chief Justice, restricting the grant of entry passes and ID cards to law students doing internship with advocates. Going forward, such passes will be issued only to students who have reached a defined stage in their legal education. The circular also prescribes a fixed set of documents that every intern must submit and confirms that no charge or fee is levied for the passes.
Which Students Are Now Eligible
The circular draws a clear eligibility line. Entry passes and ID cards will be issued only to two categories of law students interning with advocates at the Delhi High Court:
- Third-year students of the 3-Year LL.B. course; and
- Fourth-year and Fifth-year students of the 5-Year Integrated Law Course.
Students in earlier years of either programme are not covered. The circular does not provide reasons for selecting these year-groups, but the effect is to confine court access to interns who are in the latter stages of their legal studies.
Documents Required for Issuance
Any intern seeking an entry pass or ID card must submit the following five documents to the court:
- A recommendation letter from the concerned advocate, along with that advocate's Bar Council enrolment number.
- A photocopy of the advocate's Bar ID.
- A photocopy of the intern's Aadhaar card.
- A photocopy of the intern's college ID card.
- Two stamp-size photographs of the intern.
The circular clarifies that entry passes and ID cards are issued by the court without any charge or fee.
Direction to the Bar Association
The circular was forwarded to the President and Honorary Secretary of the Delhi High Court Bar Association with a specific request: to bring the contents of the circular to the knowledge of members of the Bar and “not to issue Identity Card/entry passes to students/interns” who do not fall within the eligible categories. This request places an additional responsibility on the Bar Association to ensure the new eligibility conditions are communicated to advocates who engage interns.
Distribution and Upload
The endorsement accompanying the circular directs copies to the Registrar-cum-Secretary to the Chief Justice, the Registrar General's office, all Registrars, OSDs, the Coordinator (DIAC), Joint Registrars, Deputy Registrars, and Assistant Registrars. The Registrar (IT) has been asked to upload the circular on the court's official website. The ACP (Security) of the High Court is also among the recipients, indicating that security personnel will be informed of the revised eligibility criteria for granting physical access.
Order
The circular, bearing Endst. No. G-13/Genl.-II/DHC, was issued by M.P.S. Bisht, Deputy Registrar, for the Registrar General, as directed by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi. It operates as an administrative direction governing the court's own entry and identification process for law student interns and takes effect immediately upon circulation.