CUK’s Law deptt holds webinar
School of Legal Studies, Central University of Kashmir (CUK), in collaboration with National Law University, Delhi organised a one-day national webinar “COVID-19 and Justice Delivery System in India: Issues and Challenges”.
Welcoming the participants, CUK Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj Uddin Mir stressed upon the role of lawyers and presiding officers in providing justice to the masses during the ongoing pandemic.
Prof. Ranbir Singh, Vice-Chancellor, National Law University, Delhi who was Guest of Honour during the event highlighted the issues of labourers and daily wagers during the COVID-19 while establishing a connection between law and justice through e-courts.
Prof. (Dr.) Balram K. Gupta Senior Advocate and Director (Academics), Chandigarh Judicial Academy in his inaugural address stressed upon the fact that “there is a need for extraordinary solutions during the extraordinary circumstances.” He suggested that courts should uphold the rule of law during the situations the world is going through. He referred that justice is the promise of the Constitution, and that is the real challenge during the COVID-19 for which governments must show compassion and be firm but without being cruel.
. Gulafroz Jan, Coordinator Department of Law, proposed the vote of thanks for the inaugural session.
The first plenary session was conducted by Mr. Bilal Ahmad Ganai, Assistant Professor and was chaired by Mr. Manmohan Lal Sarin, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India. Speakers, Prof. Ali Muhammad Matta, Principal, Vitasta Law College, Srinagar, raised questions of what and why about the COVID-19 from an international perspective while as Prof. Rattan Singh from University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh spoke about the role of subordinate courts in the administration of justice during COVID-19. The third speaker, Prof. Sudarshan Verma, Dean Faculty of Law, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow spoke on justice to the COVID-19 Patients v. Injustice to the Non-COVID Patients. The session chairperson, Mr. Manmohan Lal Sarin, remarked that the present situation of COVID-19 is a god-sent opportunity to restructure the justice system with the help of Information and Communication Technology, which is going to be extremely important in providing justice. The plenary session-II was conducted by Dr. Rehana Shawl, Assistant Professor and chaired by Prof. Muhammad Afzal Wani from University School of Law and Legal Studies, GGS Indraprastha University, Delhi. Speaker, Prof. B.T. Kaul, former Chairperson of Delhi Judicial Academy, referred that COVID-19 has played havoc with the rights of the workers and the government has a responsibility to provide justice to the people. Second speaker, Prof. S. Surya Prakash, Vice-Chancellor, Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam, talked about Migrant Labour during the Covid-19. Chairperson, Prof. Muhammad Afzal Wani, in his remarks, took a jurisprudential stance to the estimation of the present scenario of COVID-19. He suggested we have to seek justice indeed as a value, even if the situation is not conducive. He referred to the soul, to the feelings concerning the implementation of justice. He recommended that the quotes of the lords and jurists must make sense in the present life of the people during the pandemic situation.
Dr. Anil Kumar and Dr. Mudasir Bhat, Assistant Professors were conveners of the Webinar. (KNS)