‘Raised’ law course entry requirements still among the lowest in Europe

Entry requirements for the law course at the University of Malta were recently modified to allow for a minimum of three A levels - with grades of one C and two Es - eliciting sharp criticism from various quarters at a perceived 'lowering' of academic standards.

Press reports were quick to highlight the new law course requirements, without indicating what these were intended to replace and helping to fuel the perception that the entry requirements had somehow been lowered.

But Prof. Kevin Aquilina, dean of the Faculty of Laws, insists that the opposite is true: he argues that the minimum entry requirements for law were actually raised to the new levels, from a previous minimum of any two A levels in any subject.

"The course requirements have been raised," Aquilina reiterates when contacted by phone. "I know people are saying the opposite happened, but the facts are what they are."

Aquilina added that according the old admissions criteria, even a grade of F (which indicates a failure) could be considered acceptable, if a candidate's grade in one other subject was sufficiently high.

The new requirements have addressed this apparent loophole, Aquilina explained, as they insist on a minimum of three passes at A level, one of which must be a grade of C or higher. But while failure is no longer acceptable to the admissions board, the fact remains that candidates may be admitted even with the barest of pass marks - E - in two out of three of their chosen subjects.

Prof. Aquilina acknowledges that Malta's entry requirements remain on the low side, but points out that the new requirements have also restored either Maltese or English as a compulsory subject, unlike the previous admissions regime, in which any subject could be considered for eligibility to the law course.

The dean also rebutted criticism that the admissions criteria may result in more lawyers than can be catered for by popular demand.

"We are an academic body, not a professional one. We don't take such matters into consideration; but even if we did, Malta has not yet reached saturation point insofar as lawyers are concerned."

Malta's only professional body for lawyers, the Chamber of Advocates, was likewise guarded in its reaction to the administrative change.

Reuben Balzan, president of the Chamber, acknowledged that the changes represented an improvement over the previous situation - but expressed disappointment that the new entry requirements fell short of the chamber's expectations.

"We welcome the addition of either Maltese or English as compulsory requirements. The previous situation was that any three A levels could be considered, even if these were needlework or home economics," he said when asked for the Chamber's reaction. "However we feel the new requirements could have set higher standards. While insisting on Maltese or English is necessary, it would have been preferable to also require either Italian or French. Our legal system is heavily influenced by Italian, and many books on legal theory are written in French. Not knowing either may be a handicap for law students..."

Even at their new levels, entry requirements for the undergraduate law course at the University of Malta remain among the lowest in the whole of Europe.

A straight comparison between different systems is not always possible, because not all EU member states adhere to the GCSE system (still less MATSEC or any other). But in some cases it is possible to compare.

Most British universities require a minimum of three A levels, including at least one in a modern foreign language, with minimum grades of one B and two Cs. The University of Liverpool, for instance, states that "it is a pre-requisite that applicants have grade B passes at GCSE maths and English, and a grade C pass at a modern foreign language."