The Government Law College

History

Before 1855 there was no formal legal education for legal officers & lawyers in the country when Sir Erskine Perry,
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Bombay used to lecture on law after court hours.
These classes were on a very informal basis and were attended only by a select group of people.
A conscious effort was made by a committee to collect funds in order to institute a chair in Jurisprudence at
the Elphinstone Institute. This was to be called the Perry Professorship of Jurisprudence, which came to be in 1855.

In 1855, Dr. R. T. Reid (LL. B. Bar-at-Law & the first Judge of the Small Causes Court Bombay) was appointed
the first Perry professor of Jurisprudence and the Government Law School (GLS) as it was then called
at the Elphinstone Institution.The response to the first series of lectures conducted was overwhelming.
The Government of India instituted two permanent professorships. The Government Law School has been affiliated with
the University of Bombay since 1860 in fact it is older than the University of Bombay and the Bombay High Court itself.
The first batch of students of the LL. B. Examination included M. G. Ranade (one of the greatest social reformers and
economists of the country).From 1855 - 95 the numerical strength of the GLS grew from 46 to 250 students.
Seating space was so scarce in those days that the benches had to be brought in form the Elphinstone School Building nearby.

The Government Law College was established in 1855 and gained affiliation to the University of Bombay on 4 September 1860.
This pioneering institute has succeeded in carving a niche for itself in the Indian legal context as also in the context of legal education.
The Government Law College has played an immeasurably important role in the judicial, political, social and historical background of India.

The Government Law College has completed 148 years on 5th September 2003. The institution tries to impart
fine and sound legal knowledge. Over the years the Government Law College has been encouraging co-curricular activities, like
Moot Courts, debates, essay competitions and other activities which help in improving the legal knowledge and the oratory and
literary skills of our aspiring advocates. It has also encouraged extra curricular from sports to music, dance andrama. Moot court
competitions have been held since 1936. The college has also been publishing the College Magazine since 1930
and the Law Review since the past few years. The students have regularly and actively participated in all the activities.
The diversity in college has been represented through the various committees like the Student Council, the Moot Court
Association,Magazine Committee, Law Reivew Committee, Social Service League, Legal Aid Committee, Sports Committee,
Dramatics Committee, Music Circle, Hindi Parishad, Marathi Mandal, Gujrathi Mandal Bazme-Urdu, Placement Committee and Rotract.
The College now has a new Library stack room, a Seminar room and additional lecture rooms which are located in the Annex Building
that was completed in September 1988.In keeping with its principles of being an educational institution with a rich heritage yet modern outlook,
we may be sure that whatever the future may hold for the College it is certain to stay abreast with the changing times.

Description

Any discussion of the India's legal system & legal culture today is incomplete, in fact, meaningless without a mention of the Government Law College.
If one look back over the years, One becomes aware of the immeasurable role this pioneering law institution has played in the judicial, political,social life and historical background of India.

The legal luminaries who have walked thriugh its portals touch our lives even today.
Great man like Lokmanya balgangadhar Tilak (freedom fighter), Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (the architect of the indian Constitution);
Chief Jutice M. C. Chagla (the first Indian Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court), Sir Motilal Setalvad (the first Attorney General of Independent India),
N. A. Palkhiwala and many other Prominent personalities have left their footprints behind for all time to come.

The College has had an equally illustrious faculty like Chief Justice M. C. Chagla, Badruddin Tyebji, G. S. Rao, V. F. Taraporwala,
N. H. C. Coyajee, B. G. Gokhale, S. G. Patwardhan, N. A. Palkhivala, Tehemtan Daruwala among others.

Free India's first Law Minister and one of the principle architects of her constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar,
Sir Dinshaw Mulla, Sir Bomanji wadia and shri. A. A. A. Fyzee have been among the distingushed Principals of the college. The list is endless
Today one cannot help bur relive all those memorable moments, which contributed in making this institution, the most distinguished law college in the Country.

It comprises of the tra