• Charges that entrance exam fee hike will discourage students from low income communities

The Law Students' Union of Sri Lanka (LSUSL) has raised concerns over the recent increases of fees charged by the Sri Lanka Law College (SLLC), requesting authorities to consider a more considerate structure, The Daily Morning learns.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, LSUSL President Shenal Wijesinghe said that various types of fees including that for the General Entrance Examination charged by SLLC have been raised through an Extraordinary Gazette dated 05 January 2023.

According to the relevant gazette notification, the general entrance examination fee, which was Rs. 6,000, has been increased to Rs. 15,000 (250%), the preliminary year fee which was Rs. 18,900 to Rs. 67,500 (357%), the intermediate year fee which was Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 40,500 (270%), the final year fee which was Rs. 19,500 to Rs. 55,500 (284%), the practical training fee which was Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 25,000 (416%), the examination fee (per paper) which was Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,500 (250%), the late registration fee which was Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 15,000 (750%), and the renewal fee which was Rs. 2500  to Rs. 15000 (600%).

Commenting on the increase in the general entrance examination fee from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 15,000, Wijesinghe said that it would largely discourage students, particularly those from low-income families, from applying for the entrance examination.

"This is a highly competitive examination in which only 200 succeed from 5,000 candidates. Given this unaffordable increase, persons of low-income households, who barely make ends meet, will not even consider applying for the examination because they are simply not able to amass and spend such an amount, let alone risk it for a highly competitive examination," Wijesinghe opined.

He also charged that facilities provided for SLLC to date were substandard, and continue to be so.

"The lavatories are unusable, lecture halls are cramped and there are many other issues in terms of facilities. It is our view that such a substantial increment of fees cannot be justified while such substandard facilities continue to be available," Wijesinghe stated.

According to him the LSUSL would request the relevant authorities to reconsider the current fee structure and replace it with a more considerate structure.

"Particular emphasis is placed on reducing the fee of the entrance examination so as to make it affordable to a wider portion of the population. We note that while a student may with difficulty find scholarships upon entry to SLLC, such an opportunity will not be available whatsoever to a candidate of a competitive examination."

Attempts to contact the Principal of the Sri Lanka Law College regarding the allegations and request made by the student union, proved futile.

The Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms President's Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka were not available for comment.

The SLLC is the only legal institution where one can enroll as an Attorney-at-Law in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1874, under the then Council of Legal Education. In order to practice law in Sri Lanka, a Lawyer must be admitted and enrolled as an Attorney-At-Law of the Supreme Court. To receive admission to the bar, a law student must complete law exams held by the SLLC, followed by a practical training course combined with an apprenticeship, which is roughly six months.