Lessons on adjudication necessary in Indian law colleges: CJI Umesh Lalit

Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit has expressed the need for a programme which encompasses the elements of 'adjudication' in Indian law colleges. He opined that introducing such programmes would help to train students for the post of entry-level judgeship in district courts.

The CJI spoke thus on September 10, at the valediction ceremony of the Dr BR Ambedkar Government Law College in Puducherry, which is celebrating its golden jubilee year. Addressing the event, the CJI informed that the Shetty Commission removed the criterion that required lawyers to have a minimum number of years of practice before they could enter the judiciary. This criterion was a barrier, as reported by The New Indian Express.

After its removal, the CJI said that a large number of young graduates are willing to take up judgeship directly as a career after they graduate from college. "If the colleges have a subject or two dealing with adjudicatory functions, it will equip them, nurture their talent and support them," Lalit suggested. It may be noted that such courses already exist in the National Law Universities (NLUs).

The CJI also said that in the near future, a large number of women judges would be emerging and advocated this. He was addressing the earlier appeal of Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan (who was also present at the event) that women should come forward in large numbers to go for Postgraduation in Legal Studies, pursue a legal profession and become judges.

The CJI said that in four states, including Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, the number of women at the induction level of judges was far greater than men. Out of 180 judges at the induction level in Rajasthan, 129 judges were women, he informed. He also mentioned some of the women judges at the Supreme Court, as per The New Indian Express

Chief Minister N Rangasamy, an alumnus of the law college, also spoke at the event. He informed that the government was going ahead with its initiative to establish a National Law University on 26 acres of land at Periya Kalapet. Stating that there was apprehension among the students of Puducherry with regard to their higher studies in Law, he said that this initiative was being taken.

The CM also said that the BR Ambedkar Law College would be upgraded to provide opportunities to the students of Puducherry. He informed that the Puducherry government was already providing a monthly assistance of Rs 9,000 to young lawyers in their nascent stage of practice and Rs 25,000 per month on their completion of Postgraduation to those who serve as Research Associates, as per The New Indian Express.