Reflections | Teaching Criminal Law: Curriculum, Syllabus & Pedagogy | By NLSIU & NUS

At NLSIU, we believe that the strength of a nation’s legal education begins in the classroom—and with the teachers who shape it every day. As an institution that recognises its responsibility to give back and uplift the wider academic community, we are committed to fostering collaboration, shared learning, and reflective pedagogy across law schools in India.

With this spirit, we have launched the Faculty Development Workshop Series, an initiative to support faculty in enhancing teaching practice and building a stronger, more connected academic ecosystem.

The inaugural workshop, Teaching Criminal Law: Curriculum, Syllabus & Pedagogy, was held on November 15–16, 2025 in collaboration with the Centre for Asian Legal Studies, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (NUS). The two-day programme brought together leading criminal law academics — Mrinal Satish, Stanley Yeo, Wing-Cheong Chan, Michael Hor, Ronnakorn Bunmee and Kunal Ambasta, and faculty participants from universities across India. Structured across nine thematic sessions, the workshop integrated panel discussions, expert lectures, and collaborative breakout reflections. Subject-focussed sessions covered Fault and Physical Elements of Crime, Extensions of Criminal Liability, Defences, and Selected Offences. The programme also developed a proposed syllabus framework for teaching substantive criminal law and generated contributions to the NLSIU Textbook Companion Project.

In his concluding remarks, Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice-Chancellor, National Law School of India University (NLSIU) highlighted the importance of strengthening faculty development to shape the future of legal education, noting that this workshop marks the first chapter of a long-term initiative to connect and support multiple teaching communities nationwide. The series will expand into other foundational areas of law in the chapters ahead.

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