Introduction
In a historic move, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has officially suspended the Special Equivalence Examination (SEE-LAW), a test that was previously mandatory for foreign law graduates. The decision, announced on June 25, 2025, marks a turning point in legal education reforms and has been widely welcomed by students, graduates, and the legal community.
Why Was SEE LAW Suspended?
The SEE-LAW exam was designed to evaluate foreign law graduates before they could apply for the bar. However, the Supreme Court noted that this exam was redundant, as candidates were already required to pass the Law Graduate Assessment Test (LAW-GAT) for enrollment with the Bar Council. To remove this unnecessary burden, the Court officially ordered the suspension of SEE-LAW for all pending and future enrollment cases.
Other Legal Education Reforms
The suspension of SEE-LAW is part of broader reforms aimed at modernizing legal education in Pakistan. Another major change is the reduction of the LLB program duration from five years to four years, bringing it in line with other undergraduate degree programs in the country.
These reforms were proposed with input from the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the Directorate of Legal Education (DLE), and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Reaction from the Legal Community
The legal fraternity has largely welcomed this decision. Ch. Tahir Nasrullah Warraich, Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, praised the Supreme Court’s ruling as a step towards eliminating unnecessary obstacles and ensuring that legal education remains accessible, fair, and in line with international standards.
What This Means for Students
- Foreign law graduates will no longer have to clear SEE-LAW in addition to LAW-GAT.
- LLB students in Pakistan will complete their degrees in four years instead of five.
- Bar admission is now more streamlined and less complicated for graduates from both local and international universities.
Press release by Islamabad Bar Council:
See Our Blog On Law GAT 2025: https://careerbyali.com/how-to-pass-the-law-gat-pakistan-2025/