Chandigarh, November 16, 2024: In a significant judgment underscoring the importance of ethics in the legal profession, the Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld Panjab University’s decision to disqualify a BA LL.B student from taking exams for two years after he was caught cheating during a ‘Law of Contract’ paper in December 2023.
Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri dismissed the plea of the petitioner, who had sought leniency in the punishment, emphasizing that the legal profession demands adherence to the highest ethical standards.
“The petitioner is a student of LL.B. and he would be a future lawyer. The legal profession is a noble profession and is governed by legal ethics. This Court therefore does not deem it fit and proper to grant indulgence in its exercise of power under Article 226 of the Constitution of India,” the Court stated.
Caught Red-Handed
The student was caught with handwritten notes during the exam, which were subsequently found to match portions copied into his answer sheet. Panjab University charged the student under Regulations 5(a) and 8 of its Calendar Volume II, 2007, which stipulate severe penalties for cheating.
Despite arguments that the two-year disqualification would severely affect his career, the Court sided with the University, which maintained that the penalty was both fair and necessary to uphold academic integrity.
“The Regulations which have been reproduced provide for two years of disqualification and there is no reason for this Court to give any punishment which is lesser than the same and substituting the same with the aforesaid regulations,” Justice Puri ruled.
A Strong Message
The judgment sends a clear message about the zero-tolerance policy for unethical behavior in legal education. “The legal profession is a noble profession,” the Court reiterated, underlining the critical need for aspiring lawyers to abide by ethical principles.
The petitioner’s plea to reduce the punishment was dismissed, with the Court affirming that the punishment aligns with the University’s regulations and was appropriately enforced.
This ruling serves as a stark reminder that aspiring lawyers must uphold integrity, even as students, as the foundation of their future profession rests on unwavering ethics.
