New legal certification course expected to begin by 2029 latest

KUALA LUMPUR: The New Bar Course (NBC), which will replace the Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) examination, is expected to be implemented in 2028, or, at the latest by 2029.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Sri Azalina Othman Said said the Legal Profession Qualifying Board had established a task force on April 27 to develop the operational framework for the new course.

"Currently, the board, together with the NBC task force, is taking the necessary steps to implement the course," she said in a written parliamentary reply.

She was responding to a question from S. Kesavan (PH-Sungai Siput) on the latest status of the NBC's implementation and when the course would be introduced.

Azalina said preparations include developing course content and question banks for the Conversion Course (CC) and Legal Practice Postgraduate Certificate (LPPC), as well as procuring learning management and computer-based assessment systems.

She said the board is also preparing academic regulations for the CC and LPPC and strengthening its organisational structure and workforce to operate both programmes.

She added that preparations also included developing the capacity of question setters, examiners and assessors, as well as setting criteria for course providers to conduct the LPPC.

"Based on the preparations required and policies that need to be formulated by the board, the NBC is expected to be implemented in 2028 or, at the latest, 2029," she said.

Keywords: Malaysia, news, nation, Dewan Rakyat, Parliament, New Bar Course, NBC, CLP replacement, Azalina Othman, NST, Malaysia news