CLS213 | The Indian Legal System And Access To Justice: Theory And Practice

This course builds on the foundations that the Criminal Law I, II, III, Law of Evidence, ADR and Civil Procedure Code I and II core courses have laid out for the students of BA, LL.B. (Hons.) programme. It complements the Litigation Advocacy course from the undergraduate law programme. It is therefore suitable for students of the 3rd, 4th and 5th years of the BA, LL.B. (Hons.) programme. For students of the LL.M. and MPP programmes, this course offers a unique perspective of legal processes and institutions in India, and can serve as a useful primer to deeper engagement with the legal practice.

The course follows a mixed design, with seminar style classroom discussions coupled with field work. The first week of the course sets out the theoretical background of India’s legal system, its issues and efforts at reform using technology, the second week follows this up with the practice.

While selected statutes and case law will be used to explain concepts, knowledge of the law is not a prerequisite for the course. Each session will use pre-assigned instructional readings.

Most sessions will also use case studies and videos to supplement the readings. Students will be encouraged to engage in discussions and debates and learn through peer learning. External speakers with sector experience may be invited to give practical, everyday instances to explain the concepts. Information on the list of speakers will be released as the course progresses.

The course serves as an important addition to the law school curriculum since information available publicly on the components of the Indian legal system is fragmented and usually incomplete. It consolidates the policy discussions and practice within the legal system to provide students with a comprehensive picture of the system, its institutions, chief actors and their interactions with each other and with the community.