The Bar Council of India (BCI) is in talks with government agency Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) to automate BCI internal processes and design cost-effective or free anti-plagiarism software for law schools and other legal writers.

It is understood that the BCI has conducted research that has shown that plagiarism is a major concern at law schools, although the statistics and results of the research are not available for released to the public.

The STPI, which is a governmental agency focusing on information technology development, has been assisting the BCI in selecting either public sector or private sector vendors to carry out the project after interviews and tender, according to a source with knowledge of the development.

In a press statement BCI chairman Gopal Subramanium said: “Indian academics and members of the bar have, in the past, produced some of the best examples of legal literary work. A lack of appropriate standards in legal writing and education has however, unfortunately, resulted in a sharp decline in the production of good quality, original legal writing in the public space.”

“The Bar Council of India requests all law colleges to take adequate steps to prevent plagiarism in any publications and academic writing in the public space,” added the statement.

However, the plagiarism prevention software is not intended exclusively for law schools but could also be used by anyone doing legal writing in the public space.

It is understood that no final date has been fixed for roll-out of the software or whether the software would be open-source or proprietary.

In May NLSIU Bangalore bought licences to commercial plagiarism prevention software “turnitin”.

Legally India student blogger sss discussed the issue of plagiarism and potential solutions in the post The Plagiarism Menace.

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