ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has given in-principle approval to a new four-year LLB (Bachelor of Laws) programme, after months of discussions and consultations with legal and academic experts.
Earlier this year, in January 2025, HEC and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) proposed reducing the duration of the LLB degree from five years to four. The proposal was discussed in a meeting chaired by HEC Executive Director Prof Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum, which was attended by representatives from 44 universities, the Pakistan Bar Council, and the Directorate of Legal Education (DLE). It was agreed that if all stakeholders supported the idea, a new curriculum would be developed and implemented.
Following this, HEC held a three-day meeting of the National Curriculum Review Committee for Law. The meeting was led by HEC’s Director General Curriculum Dr Amjad Hussain. Other participants included Member Pakistan Bar Council Mr Hassan Raza Pasha, Director of DLE Barrister Usama Malik, and Dean of Quaid-i-Azam University School of Law Dr Aziz ur Rehman. HEC Deputy Director (Curriculum) Mr Hidayatullah Kasi served as the meeting secretary.
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During the sessions, the committee reviewed and redesigned the LLB curriculum. The new programme has been prepared according to international standards and tailored to meet the needs of legal education in Pakistan. The committee gave its approval in principle, and the programme will now move forward for formal approval under the law before it is implemented.
HEC officials said the new curriculum aims to improve the quality of legal education and better prepare law graduates for professional practice.
