The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences was established under the WBNUJS Act, 1999 (West Bengal Act IX of 1999) adopted by the West Bengal Legislature in July, 1999.The University was notified under Clause (f) of Section 2 of the UGC Act, 1956 in August 2004 and has been granted permanent affiliation by the Bar Council of India in July 2005.

The Chief Justice of India is the Chancellor of NUJS and is also the Chairman of the General Council, the supreme policy-making body of the University. Professor Dr. P. Ishwara Bhat is the Vice Chancellor of the University

The objectives of the University inter alia are to:

• advance and disseminate learning and knowledge of law and legal processes and their role in national development

• promote legal knowledge and to make law and the legal process efficient instruments of social development

• develop in the student and research scholar a sense of responsibility to serve society in the field of law by developing skills with regard to advocacy, legal service, legislation, law reforms and the like

• promote inter-disciplinary study of law in relation to management, technology, international cooperation and development