The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the National Assembly has given its approval for the progression of the Legal Education (Amendment) Bill 2023, which seeks to lower the requirements for Law Degrees in the country.
The amendments proposed by Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino aim to eliminate rigidity within existing legislation that demands higher grades for students who are enrolling for a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree.
In the proposed changes, Babu Owino wants the requirements for grade B plain in English or Kiswahili removed to allow as many students as possible to register for the course.
"This change will enable LLB graduates without a B plain in English or Kiswahili to gain admission to the Kenya School of Law for the advocates' training program, promoting career growth," the statement by Parliament read in part.
Babu noted that a minor change in the Legal Education Act 2010 would make it easier for Kenyans to access legal education and practice law.
The MP, who studied Law and Actuarial Science, added that potential legal practitioners were being locked out of the course due to the requirement.
Presently, the requirements for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in Kenya vary from institution to institution. However, general requirements include a mean grade of C+ (Plus) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) or its equivalent.
Students seeking to enrol for the programme must also have attained at least a B (Plain) in English or Kiswahili in their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.
Alternatively, the student should have at least three Principal Passes in the Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education Examination (KACE).
It is also possible for students to begin their law studies at the Diploma level and then advance to a Degree course after earning a credit pass in the examination from an accredited institution.
In addition to the above qualifications, some institutions may also require applicants to have taken the Law Admission Test (LAT), especially those joining from the diploma level.
The LAT is a standardised test that is used to assess the academic aptitude of applicants to law school. This test is administered by the Council of Legal Education (CLE), which is the body responsible for the regulation of legal education in Kenya.
The CLE also sets the minimum academic requirements for admission to law school. These requirements are reviewed periodically and may be updated from time to time.
