International Law Week Starts at KIIT

International Law Week 2010, a novel initiative of School of Law of KIIT University, commenced on 4th December 2010. The event was inaugurated by Hon’ble Mr. Justice A. K. Patnaik, Judge, Supreme Court of India in the presence of National and International legal luminaries at Convention Centre of KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. Those who graced the inaugural ceremony include Hon’ble Mr. Justice M. M. Das, Hon’ble Mr. Justice L. Mohapatra, Hon’ble Mr. Justice B. P. Das, Judges of Odisha High Court, Prof. J. Martin Hunter, Emeritus Professor, Nottingham Trent University, U. K. and Dr. A. Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS.

International Law Week, being organized in collaboration of British Council, aims to provide budding lawyers with a unique opportunity to interact with global leaders of the legal fraternity. This endeavour of KIIT School of Law, a leading law school in the country set up on the pattern of National Law Schools by KIIT University, is an attempt towards internationalization of legal education as envisaged by the National Knowledge Commission, Govt. of India.

Inaugurating the conference, Justice Patnaik said that international legal thinking is creeping into domestic laws. Analysing the interactions between international law and domestic laws, he said that India has to be a part of international covenants due to economic compulsions and, therefore, adapt its domestic laws. Citing example of resistance for women reservation bill in Parliament, Justice Patnaik observed that international resistance in the matters of human rights in India is high. Fortunately, however, international thinking in the area of human rights is influencing our domestic laws, he said.             

“KIIT is a centre of excellence and we will try to make KIIT School of Law the finest law school in India”, said Prof. Hunter. It is important for students to know the diversity of law as practiced in different parts of the world, said Justice M. M. Das, adding that this will prepare them for an international legal profession.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice Mohapatra said that the purpose of five year integrated course in law is to attract bright students to the profession. However, he regretted that a vast majority of such graduates opt for corporate jobs, rather than legal practice. Justice B. P. Das elaborated on sources and sense of international law and explained treaty and agreements between nations.     
   
The week long programme includes workshops, seminars, practical excercises and open house discussions with globally reputed legal scholars. There would be special lectures on all days to be delivered by eminent personalities from legal and allied fields. Hon’ble Ms. Justice Geeta Mittal, Judge, Delhi High Court, Shri Naveen Chawla, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Ashok Parija, Sr. Advocate and Member, BCI, Shri Fali S. Nariman, Sr. Advocate, Supreme Court of India, Lord Justice Mark Oliver Saville, former Judge, Supreme Court of U.K., Mr. Sanjay Wadvani, British Dy. High Commissioner, Eastern India, Shri Ram Jethmalani, Sr. Advocate, Supreme Court of India and Dr. Sumate Yamnoon, General Secretary, UMAP are some of the speakers who would illuminate the audience.          

A special feature of the International Law Week is Law Mela on 9th December 2010, in which students and faculty of the KIIT School of Law will get rare opportunity of informal interaction with legal luminaries in small groups. The event will conclude on 12th December 2010. The valedictory ceremony will be graced by Mr. Suhel Seth, theatre actor and social activist and Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, IBN.

Dr. Hari Gautam, Chancellor, KIIT University and Prof. A. S. Kolaskar, Vice Chancellor also spoke on the occasion. Prof. N. K. Chakraborty, Director, KIIT School of Law proposed the vote of thanks.

Mr. Navin Chawla at International Law Week in KIIT

Mr. Navin Chawla, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, and Mr. Ashok Parija, Senior Advocate and Member, Bar Council of India graced the fourth day of International Law Week, being organized by School of Law of KIIT University in collaboration with the British Council.

Dr. A. Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, Prof. J. Martin Hunter, Emeritus Professor, Nottingham Trent University, UK, Prof. Faizan Mustafa, VC, National Law University of Odisha and Prof. N. K. Chakraborty, Director, KIIT School of Law were present on the occasion.

Legal social work and legal education should go hand in hand, said Mr. Chawla in his address to the students. Students should take initiative in providing legal aid to poor who are under trial or languishing in jail for want of funds to pursue the case against them, he said. He congratulated the students of KIIT School of Law for their activism in ensuring right to vote for transsexuals. He also answered questions of the students in a Question & Answer Session.

International Law Week aims to provide budding lawyers and students with a unique opportunity to interact with global leaders of the legal fraternity.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Parija laid emphasis on legal education system in the country. There are 900 institutions imparting legal education which produce more that 50000 graduates every year, he informed, adding that there is further need to strengthen legal education system as most of these institutions do not have adequate faculty. Legal education should be brought closer to technical and management education in view of influx of multinationals in the country as a result of globalization, he added. Proportion of legal professionals in the country is 1:1800, while it is 1:300 in UK, Mr. Parija said.  

International Law Week Concludes at KIIT

International Law Week, a novel initiative of School of Law of KIIT University organized in collaboration with the British Council, concluded on 12th December 2010. Eminent legal luminaries including Mr. Ram Jethmalani, Hon'ble MP (Rajya Sabha) and
President, Supreme Court Bar Association; Ms. Pinky Anand, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Lord Justice Mark Oliver Saville, Former Judge, Supreme Court of UK and Prof. J. Martin Hunter, Emeritus Professor, Nottingham Trent University, U.K. graced the valedictory ceremony. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Jethmalani said that the true objective of legal profession is social service. As a major proportion of Indian population is below poverty line, they are not able to get proper justice, he said. Helping them is a challenge for law students, he added. Helping those who are below poverty lines is the greatest duty of lawyers towards democracy, he said. Recognising tribals as the root source of our civilization, he asserted that they should get their rights. Calling Dr. A. Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS as a great visionary, he said Dr. Samanta has done a tremendous job by providing free education to tribal children through Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). Mr. Jethmalani advised students to freely exercise the right of speech. 

Ms. Pinky Anand advised students to work for bonded labourers, women, children and those who are under trial along with their legal study. Practice of law has become a very demanding and challenging profession these days, she added. Lord Justice Mark Oliver Saville expressed his satisfaction over the International Law Week. Application of information technology can improve the legal system in India and UK, he said. 

The International Law Week was organized with the objective of providing students of law with an opportunity of interaction with some of the global leaders of the legal fraternity. The nine day programme included workshops, seminars; practical exercises and open house discussions with globally reputed legal scholars. There were special lectures on all days delivered by eminent personalities from legal and allied fields. Hon'ble Justice A. K. Patnaik, Judge, Supreme Court, Shri Naveen Chawla, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Ashok Parija, Sr. Advocate and Member, BCI, and Dr. Sumate Yamnoon, General Secretary, UMAP were some of the speakers who illuminated the audience. 

Smt. Saswati Bal, President KIIT-KISS, Dr. A. Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, Mr. Ruskin Bond, eminent writer, Prof. N. K. Chakraborty, Director, KIIT School of Law were also present at the valedictory session.

KIIT Law School to Participate in Hong Kong Moot Court

A team of students from KIIT Law School (KLS) will be participating at a prestigious international Moot Court to be organised in Hong Kong. It is a rare honour for KLS to participate in this academic event along with other reputed law schools from across the Globe.

KIIT Law School (KLS), ever since its inception, has been receiving accolades at national and international level. The students here are trained and guided by the best legal brains in the country and abroad, including Prof. Martin Hunter, a participating Barrister in the field of international arbitration.

In spite of being only in its third year, KLS, under the guidance and advice of leading legal brains of the country like Prof. N. L. Mitra, the former Director of National Law School of India, Bangalore and former Vice-Chancellor of National Law University, Jodhpur and former Director, Prof. Faizan Mustafa, attracts legal experts from all parts of the globe. An experienced team of faculty under its Director, Prof. N. K. Chakraborty provides an energetic and creative learning environment. KLS has a number of professors and adjunct faculty members from various National and International Law Schools.

Moot Court has always been an integral part of the KLS curriculum. This has helped the students’ selection in the prestigious event in Hong Kong. KIIT Law School also has its own Students Bar Association. The students of KIIT Law School have been making the institution proud with their participations in various national and international forums. In the 3rd Annual Harvard Project for 'Asian people and Clean Energy Alternatives in Asia' held from 18th to 21st February, a 3rd year student, Nidhi Singh was adjudged as the best delegate from amongst the 150 participants from all over the world including Oxford University, California, Los Angles, Chicago, Boston Universities, Auckland University, New Zealand, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore, NLSIU Bangalore, lIT Kharagpur and MIT, USA.

KIIT Law School also holds the unique distinction of being admitted as member of the International Association of Law School, Washington, USA and Australia. It is one of the few institutions to have opened a chapter of the International Law Students' Association (ILSA).

KIIT Law School Organises Training Course for Cops

KIIT Law School, a constituent school of KIIT University, is organizing a five-day training course on 'Latest Rulings with Regard to Criminal Laws' for police officials. The course, which is being organised in association with the Bureau of Police Research & Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, New Delhi, was inaugurated by Mr. M. Praharaj, Director General of Police, Orissa on 1st February 2010 and will continue till 5th February 2010. Sri Satyajit Mohanty, Director, State Police Academy-cum-IGP Training, Odisha, Prof. B. B. Pande, Former Prof. of Criminal Law, Delhi University & Consultant, NHRC, New Delhi, Prof. N. L. Mitra, Former Director, National Law School of India University, Bangalore, Former Vice Chancellor, National Law University, Jodhpur and Chief Advisor, KIIT Law School, Dr. A. Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, Prof. (Dr.) Faizan Mustafa, VC, National Law University, Orissa and Dr. N. K. Chakrabarti, Director, KIIT Law School also graced the inaugural ceremony.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. M Praharaj said that the course will apprise the participants about the court rulings relating to Criminal Procedure Code, human rights, etc. It will also promote a comprehensive understanding of the ideals and goals of our Constitution, he said, while expressing confidence that it will be immensely beneficial for the participants. While Police Universities have been established in Punjab and Gujarat, such institutions are not available in Orissa, Mr. Praharaj noted.

Expressing his happiness, Mr. Mohanty thanked Dr. Samanta for taken the initiative to organize this training course. Study paten also have prepared to develop the knowledge about law for the cops, it will greatly help them accordingly the changing situation of law. There is a need to include courses like this in the academic institutions throughout the country, because it provides basic knowledge to the cops, Prof. Pande opined. Police service just like a social service, said Prof. Mitra. Prof. (Dr.) Faizan Mustafa and Dr. Chakrabarti also spoke on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Samanta extended heartiest gratitude to all the eminent personalities for gracing the inaugural ceremony of the course and throwing light upon the various aspects of this very important topic. He also welcomed all the police officials participating in the course.

Among others, Prof. A. K. Jha, Registrar, KIIT and other senior officials were present on the occasion.

Second H. M. Seervai Memorial Lecture at KIIT Law School

KIIT Law School, a constituent of KIIT University, organised the Second H. M. Seervai Memorial Lecture on 8th February 2010. Hon'ble Justice J. S. Verma, Former Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India inaugurated the lecture, which highlighted the Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policy and Fundamental Duties. These are vital elements of the Constitution of India that prescribe the fundamental obligations of the State towards its citizens as well as the duties of the citizens to the State, Hon'ble Justice Verma said, adding that these not only guide Government policy making, but also regulate the behaviour and conduct of citizens.

The Fundamental Rights, defined in Part III of the Constitution, guarantees the basic human rights to all citizens. Similarly, the Fundamental Duties are defined as the moral obligations of all citizens to help promote the spirit of patriotism and to uphold the unity of India. Common health should be covered under the good governance, Hon'ble Justice Verma stated. Advising the students of KIIT Law School to be aware citizen, he said, the law for the minor crime and major crime should be equal.

Presiding over the lecture, Shri Hara Prasad Das, eminent layer and former Vice Chairman of State Administrative Tribunal, Orissa emphasized on the Fundamental Right. Prof. Faizan Mustafa, Adviser, KIIT Law School and the V.C. of National Law University, Orissa introduced Justice Verma’s activities towards the justice of human rights, gender and social justice and judicial accountability.

Welcoming the guests, Dr. A. Samanta, Founder, KIIT said the students of KIIT Law School are very fortunate to be in the midst of a personality like Justice J. S. Verma. This will surely prove to be an intellectually enriching experience for them.
At last, Prof. N. C. Chakrabarti, Director of KIIT Law School proposed the vote of thanks. Many distinguished personalities from the fields of legal profession and politics attended the lecture.

National Seminar on Intellectual Property Law Held at KIIT

KIIT Law School in collaboration with NIPO, New Delhi organized a National Seminar on 'Recent Developments in Intellectual Property Law' on 26th February 2010. The seminar was inaugurated by Mr. M. K. Chakrabarti, Founding Partner, MKC & Associates, Intellectual Property Law Offices in the presence of Mr. T. C. James, Director, NIPO and Former Director, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India, New Delhi, Mr. Dominic Keating, First Secretary for Intellectual Property, United States Embassy in India, New Delhi, Dr. A. Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, Mr. H. P. Das, Pro- Chancellor, Prof. S. C. De Sarkar, Vice Chancellor and Dr. N. K. Chakraberty, Director, KLS.

Focusing on the theme, Mr. Chakrabarti said that the seminar will provide knowledge about the latest developments in the law of patents, copyrights, trademarks as well as fair use of trademarks online and copyright misuse. Countries have enacted laws to protect intellectual property in order to promote creativity and dissemination and application of its results, adding that this is very important in our daily life. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. James said that intellectual property is an integral part of economic development and interactions in modern society. It has high relevance in industrial, scientific, literary and artistic activities.

Intellectual Property Right plays a vital role in enhancing the socio-economic property of the country. With its increasing relevance, it is important to recognize the role which IP system plays in the growth of the nation. Thus, there is need to create large public awareness about pivotal role of IPR in globalized knowledge economy, said Mr. Dominic Keating.

Dr. Samanta extended gratitude to all the legal luminaries for participating at the seminar. Among others Dr. V. K. Gupta, Former Scientist G, National Institute of Science Technology and Development Studies, Govt. of India, New Delhi, Rosan Aggarwal, Director, Siddhast JP Innovation Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, Ms. Sanjit Kual Batra, Commercial Specialist for intellectual Property United States Embassy in India, New Delhi, Mr. Akhilesh Kumar Gupta, Director, aONEgy, Venture & President, Patent Agent Association of India, Dr. P. N. Razdan, Pro Vice Chancellor, Prof. A. K. Jha, Registrar, KIIT and other distinguished personalities from the different fields present on the occasion.