SC: Bar flunkers to get 6th chance

The Supreme Court building in Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Law students who don’t pass the bar examinations next year for the fifth time have the chance to take the examination again.

The Supreme Court on Tuesdasy lifted the five-strike rule on bar examinations starting next year, according to SC spokesperson Theodore Te.

At a briefing, Te said the high court made the decision in its weekly en banc session yesterday based on the recommendation of a study group.

Te made it clear that the move of the high court to lift the five year strike rule will be “spelled out in a formal rule.”

“As to what the rule will provide, in the terms of lifting it and its reasons, that’s being formulated,” he told reporters.

Before the high court’s lifting of the five-year-strike rule, Te said law students could only take the bar exams five times.

He said that there were also certain requirements needed for law students who take the bar exams for the fourth and fifth time.

For those who want to take it for the fourth time, they are required to enroll in a refresher course.

“If you want to take it the fifth time, you have to enroll in your fourth year (law) subject and again another review course,” he said.

“Beyond that, you are not allowed to take the exam anymore under the old rule,” he added.

He also said that this new rule will be effective in 2014 because the list of the bar exam candidates for this year has already been published.