Allahabad HC sets aside single-judge order to revise merit list for CLAT UG-2026

A two-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court has set aside a single-judge order that directed the Consortium of National Law Universities to revise the merit list for the Common Law Admission Test CLAT UG 2026. The bench allowed the Consortiums appeal against the single-judge order by observing that courts cannot act as appellate authorities over decisions of subject experts in academic matters.

A two-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court has set aside a single-judge order that directed the Consortium of National Law Universities to revise the merit list for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) UG 2026. The bench comprising Justices Saumitra Dayal Singh and Swarupama Chaturvedi restored the final answer key released by the Consortium on December 16, 2025, after expert committees reviewed the objections raised. The bench allowed the Consortium's appeal against the single-judge order by observing that courts cannot act as appellate authorities over decisions of subject experts in academic matters. Earlier, a writ petition was filed by a CLAT undergraduate (UG) candidate before the single judge challenging the final answer key for Question Nos. 6, 9 and 13 of Set-C. On February 3, the single judge partly allowed the petition and directed the Consortium to publish a revised merit list for the subsequent counselling rounds. The two-judge bench, while allowing the Consortium's appeal, said the final answer key was the outcome of a structured and layered scrutiny mechanism involving subject experts and an oversight committee. In its judgment passed on Friday, the bench said, ''Such an exercise by experts in the related field establishes a strong presumption of correctness, particularly in academic matters, unless a clear and demonstrable error is established.''