The National Law School of India Act, 1986

1. (1) This Act may be called the National Law School of India Act, 1986.
2. (2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the ninth day of January, 1986.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

1. (1) "Academic Council" means the Academic Council of the School;
2. (2) "Bar Council of India" means the Bar Council of India constituted under the Advocates Act, 1961 (Central Act 25 of 1961);
3. (3) "Bar Council of India Trust" means the Bar Council of India Trust, a public charitable trust, got created by the Bar Council of India;
4. (4) "Chairman" means the Chairman of the General Council; 1[(5)“ Vice Chancellor” means the Vice Chancellor of the School]1
5. (6) "Executive Council" means the Executive Council of the School;
6. (7) "General Council" means the General Council of the School;
7. (8) "Registrar" means the Registrar of the School;
8. (9) "Regulations" means the regulations of the School made under clause 31;
9. (10) "School" means the National Law School of India University established under section 3;
10. (11) "Schedule'' means the Schedule appended to this Act; (12)"Society" means the National Law School of India Society registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960 (Karnataka Act 17 of 1960); and 1[(13)"visitor" means the visitor of the school] 1

¹ Substituted by Act 15 of 2004 w.e.f. 6.3.2004.

¹ Substituted by Act 19 of 2011 w.e.f. 6.4.2011.

1. (1) With effect from such date as the State Government may by notification appoint there shall be established, in the State of Karnataka, a University by the name of the National Law School of India University which shall consist of the 1[Vice Chancellor]1, the General Council, the Executive Council, the Academic Council and the Registrar.
2. (2) The School shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a common seal with power, subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire and hold property, to contract and shall, by the said name, sue and be sued.
3. (3) In all suits and other legal proceedings by or against the School, the pleadings shall be signed and verified by the 1[Vice Chancellor]1 and all processes in such suits and proceedings shall be issued to, and served on, the 1[Vice Chancellor]1
4. (4) The headquarters of the School shall be at Bangalore.

¹ Substituted by Act 15 of 2004 w.e.f. 6.3.2004

¹ Substituted by Act 15 of 2004 w.e.f. 6.3.2004

1. (1) The Objects of the School shall be to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge of law and legal processes and their role in national development, to develop in the student and research scholar a sense of responsibility to serve society in the field of law by developing skills in regard to advocacy, legal services, legislation, law reforms and the like, to organise lectures, seminars, symposia and conferences to promote legal knowledge and to make law and legal processes efficient instruments of social development, to hold examinations and confer degrees and other academic distinctions and to do all such things as are incidental, necessary or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the objects of the School.
2. (2) The School shall be open to all persons of either sex irrespective of race, creed, caste or class of all religions and it shall not be lawful for the school to impose on any person any test whatsoever of religious belief or profession in order to entitle him to be admitted thereto as a teacher or a student or to hold any office therein or to graduate thereat or to enjoy or to exercise any privilege thereof.

The powers and functions of the School shall be,-

1. (i) to administer and manage the School and such centres for research, education and instruction as are necessary for the furtherance of the objects of the School;
2. (ii) to provide for instruction in such branches of knowledge or learning pertaining to law, as the School may think fit and to make provision for research and for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of law;
3. (iii) to organise and undertake extra-mural teaching and extension services;
4. (iv) to hold examinations and to grant diplomas or certificates, and to confer degrees and other academic distinctions on persons subject to such conditions as the School may determine and to withdraw any such diplomas, certificates, degrees or other academic distinctions for good and sufficient cause;
5. (v) to confer honorary degrees or other distinctions in the manner laid down in the regulations;
6. (vi) to fix, demand and receive fees and other charges;
7. (vii) to institute and maintain halls and hostels and to recognise places of residence for the students of the School and to withdraw such recognition accorded to any such place of residence;
8. (viii) to establish such special centres, specialised study centres or other units for research and instruction as are, in the opinion of the School, necessary for the furtherance of its objects;
9. (ix) to supervise and control the residence and to regulate the discipline of the students of the School and to make arrangements for promoting their health;
10. (x) to make such arrangements in respect of the residence, discipline and teaching of women students;
11. (xi) to create academic, technical, administrative, ministerial and other posts and to make appointments thereto;
12. (xii) to regulate and enforce discipline among the employees of the School and to take such disciplinary measures as may be deemed necessary;
13. (xiii) to institute professorships, associate professorships, assistant professorships, readerships, lecturerships, and any other teaching, academic or research posts required by the School;
14. (xiv) to appoint persons as professors, associate professors, assistant professors, readers, lecturers or otherwise as teachers and researchers of the School;
15. (xv) to institute and award fellowships, scholarships, prizes and medals;
16. (xvi) to provide for printing, reproduction and publication of research and other works and to organise exhibitions;
17. (xvii) to sponsor and undertake research in all aspects of law, justice and social development; (xviii) to co-operate with any other organisation in the matter of education, training and research in law, justice, social development and allied subjects for such purposes as may be agreed upon on such terms and conditions as the School may from time to time determine;
18. (xix) to co-operate with institutions of higher learning in any part of the world having objects wholly or partially similar to those of the School, by exchange of teachers and scholars and generally in such manner as may be conducive to the common objects;
19. (xx) to regulate the expenditure and to manage the accounts of the School;

1. (xxi) to establish and maintain within the School's premises or elsewhere, such class rooms, and study halls as the School may consider necessary and adequately furnish the same and to establish and maintain such libraries and reading rooms as may appear convenient or necessary for the School;
2. (xxii) to receive grants, subventions, subscriptions, donations and gifts for the purpose of the School and consistent with the objects for which the School is established; (xxiii) to purchase, take on lease or accept as gifts or otherwise any land or building or works, which may be necessary or convenient for the purpose of the School and on such terms and conditions as it may think fit and proper and to construct or alter and maintain any such building or works;
3. (xxiv) to sell, exchange, lease or otherwise dispose of all or any portion of the properties of the School, moveable or immovable, on such terms as it may think fit and proper without prejudice to the interest and activities of the School;
4. (xxv) to draw and accept, to make and endorse, to discount and negotiate, Government of India and other promissory notes, bills of exchange, cheques or other negotiable instruments;
5. (xxvi) to execute conveyances, transfers, reconveyances, mortgages, leases, licences and agreements in respect of property, moveable or immovable including Government securities belonging to the School or to be acquired for the purpose of the School; (xxvii) to appoint in order to execute an instrument or transact any business of the School any person as it may deem fit; (xxviii) to give up and cease from carrying on any classes or departments of the School;
6. (xxix) to enter into any agreement with Central Government, State Governments, the University Grants Commission or other authorities for receiving grants;
7. (xxx) to accept grants of money, securities or property of any kind on such terms as may deem expedient;
8. (xxxi) to raise and borrow money on bonds, mortgages, promissory notes or other obligations or securities founded or based upon all or any of the properties and assets of the School or without any securities and upon such terms and conditions as it may think fit and to pay out of the funds of the School, all expenses incidental to the raising of money, and to repay and redeem any money borrowed; (xxxii) to invest the funds of the School or money entrusted to the School in or upon such securities and in such manner as it may deem fit and from time to time transpose any investment; (xxxiii) to make such regulations as may, from time to time, be considered necessary for regulating the affairs and the management of the School and to alter, modify and to rescind them; (xxxiv) to constitute for the benefit of the academic, technical, administrative and other staff, in such manner and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the regulations, such as pension, insurance, provident fund and gratuity as it may deem fit and to make such grants as it may think fit for the benefit of any employees of the School, and to aid in establishment and support of the associations, institutions, funds, trusts and conveyance calculated to benefit the staff and the students of the School;
9. (xxxv) to delegate all or any of its powers to the Director of the School or any committee or any sub-committee or to any one or more members of its body or its officers; and (xxxvi) to do all such other acts and things as the School may consider necessary, conducive or incidental to the attainment or enlargement of the aforesaid objects or any one of them.

1. (1) All recognised teaching in connection with the degree, diplomas and certificates of the School shall be conducted, under the control of the General Council, by the teachers of the School, in accordance with the syllabus prescribed by the regulations.
2. (2) The courses and curricula and the authorities responsible for organising such teaching shall be as prescribed by the regulations.

¹ Substituted by Act 19 of 2011 w.e.f. 6.4.2011.

1[(1) The Chief Justice of India or his nominee who is a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court shall be the visitor of the School.]1

1. (2) The 1 [visitor] 1 shall have the right to cause an inspection to be made by such person or persons as he may direct, of the School, its buildings, libraries and equipments and of any institution maintained by the School, and also of the examinations, teaching and other work conducted or done by the School and to cause an inquiry to be made in like manner in respect of any matter connected with the administration and finances of the School.
2. (3) The 1 [visitor] 1 shall, in every case give notice, to the School of his intention to cause an inspection or inquiry to be made, and the School shall be entitled to appoint a representative who shall have the right to be present and be heard at such inspection or inquiry.
3. (4) The 2 [visitor] 2 may address the 1 [Vice Chancellor] 1 with reference to the result of such inspection or inquiry, and the 1 [Vice Chancellor] 1 shall communicate to the General Council the views of the 2[visitor]2 along with such advice as the 2[visitor]2 may have offered on the action to be taken thereon.
4. (5) The General Council shall communicate through the 1 [Vice Chancellor] 1 to the 2[visitor]2 such action, if any, as it proposes to take or has been taken on the result of such inspection or inquiry.

¹ Substituted by Act 19 of 2011 w.e.f. 6.4.2011.

¹ Substituted by Act 19 of 2011 w.e.f. 6.4.2011.

¹ Substituted by Act 15 of 2004 w.e.f. 6.3.2004.

² Substituted by Act 19 of 2011 w.e.f. 6.4.2011.

¹ Substituted by Act 15 of 2004 w.e.f. 6.3.2004.

² Substituted by Act 19 of 2011 w.e.f. 6.4.2011.

The following shall be the authorities of the School:-

1. (1) the General Council;
2. (2) the Executive Council;
3. (3) the Academic Council;
4. (4) the Finance Committee; and
5. (5) such other authorities as may be declared as such.

The General Council shall be the 1[chief advisory body]1 of the School.

¹ Substituted by Act 3 of 1993 w.e.f. 14.5.1992.