Book Review: Unravelling the Kashmir Knot – Past, Present and Future By Dr. Aman Hingorani

Three decades ago, I read Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. The book's vivid portrayal of partition of the Indian subcontinent and its aftermath left a lasting impression, recounting events like the astrologically influenced timing of independence, the gruesome massacres during the partition, Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, and the immense wealth of the Nizam...

'The Urban Elite V. Union Of India': Book Review

In October, last year, the Supreme Court constitution bench in Supriyo v. UOI unanimously held that there is no fundamental and unqualified right to marry. For most of us, the judgment was like any other judgment of the Supreme Court except for the possibility that it could have canvassed a set of fundamental rights. But members of the queer community had hoped for their lives to be changed;...

Book Review; Horizontal Rights - Institutional Approach

The book "Horizontal Rights - Institutional Approach" by Gautam Bhatia (Hart Publishing (24 August 2023)) is thoroughly reviewed in this article. The book begins by contextualizing the shift from traditional vertical approaches in constitutional law, emphasizing how various jurisdictions are broadening the scope of bills of rights to include horizontal rights. This...

A Man Of Many Parts: Book Review Of Syed Mahmood: Colonial India's Dissenting Judge

In the late 19th-century Colonial India, a district judge, in Raebareli, ordinarily delivered a judgment in the case of Deputy Commissioner Rae Bareli v. Rampal (1884). The judgment involved the interpretation of an issue relating to the law of Mortgages. The judgment was brimming with erudition and was so reasonably constructed that the members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy...

Raju's Way - A Laughter Therapy: Book Review Of Tales Of Law And Laughter By Raju Z Moray

"If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you." – Oscar WildeWhen we talk about law, most of the people think that it must be something which the layman won't be able to relate or appreciate much. I recently read 'Tales of Law and Laughter' by Raju Z Moray, who practices law in Mumbai. For more than 30 years he has been a contributor of articles and poems...

The Arc Of Memory: My Life And Times By Murlidhar C. Bhandare: A Delightful Read On Law, Politics, Love & Life

From a humble beginning starting in a one-room family home in Mumbai to ending up in the country's capital, from taking up the cause of Mumbai's workmen as a labour lawyer to earning his stripes as a senior advocate at the Supreme Court representing the political elite of the country, marrying the love of his life and then venturing into public life, enriching the legal discourse in...

Book Review: These Seats Are Reserved: Caste, Quotas: Caste, Quotas And The Constitution Of India By Abhinav Chandrachud

American political philosopher Michael Sandel in his book, The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? raises a fundamental question—would a perfect meritocracy be just? He himself answers the question in negative based on the following reasoning—the meritocratic ideal does not remedy inequality rather justifies it. But inequality, even of the type that results because of...

"AI For Good: India And Beyond" - A Book Navigating The Legal Landscape Of AI

'AI for Good: India and Beyond' by Maneesha Dhir and Sonal Verma is a book offering comprehensive analysis, study and insights into the evolution and current state of AI regulation in India, marking significant judicial decisions and emerging policies with a keen eye on their alignment with international laws/standards. This recently launched book advocates an approach...

Book Review: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

The Second wave of Feminism, challenged the dogmas of essentialism and underlined the primacy of existentialism. Even within the metanarratives that went within feminism, the difference was highlighted by various subsections. The common goal that all strive for was to reclaim the principle of 'being human.' This fight for reclaiming the deliberate erosion of the second sex from the public...

Book Review- “Time Spent, Distance Travelled”-Autobiography Of Justice Shivraj Patil

The distinction of a Judge's life is defined by the justice of his judgements. Thus evaluated, the life of Justice Shivraj Patil has been an unending pursuit of justice based on truth, enriched by compassion and embellished by his unquestioned personal and intellectual integrity. His work and visage on the Bench reflected all of these. Justice Patil's autobiography “Time Spent,...

Book Review: The great Indian Manthan

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” ...

Book Review - M.K. Nambyar - A Constitutional Visionary

Benjamin Disraeli, the thinker moots for reading biographies as they are life without theories. I would have accepted this theory of Disraeli earlier but hesitate to accept it in toto as a lived life may not always be laden with vapid theories but principles that illuminate a person, infact take away her out in the sunshine of real knowledge; as Plato explains in his Allegory of...

Book Review - Unsealed Covers - A Decade Of The Constitution,The Courts And The State By Gautam Bhatia

In the realm of Constitutional Jurisprudence, there are moments when a new book emerges, promising to quench the thirst of eager aspirants and enthusiasts alike. One such moment has arrived with the release of Gautam Bhatia's eagerly awaited masterpiece, "Unsealed Covers." So, without further ado, let us embark on a journey into the heart of this book, unveiling the...

Book Review: 1947-1957, INDIA By Chandrachur Ghose- Interrogating The Morality Of The Idea Of India.

A critical look at the mayhem of the contemporary events surrounding us points to the questions about their backward linkages, their ought to be consequences, till the questions regarding origin of their discourse. In the contemporary political scenario with Union parliamentary elections just around the corner, multiplicity of passions and pressing issues are coming to light where the...

Book Review: Courting The People: Public Interest Litigation In Post-Emergency India By - Anuj Bhuwania

Public Interest Litigations (PILs) are one of the most celebrated features of the Indian Judicial System. Not only is it a tool to further democratize the nation, but it also makes justice accessible to a larger section of society by serving as a means for individuals who are unable to go to court by themselves, either due to financial constraints or personal limitations, to obtain...

Book Review - The Everyday Makers of International Law: From Great Halls to Back Rooms

The book “The Everyday Makers of International Law: From Great Halls to Back Rooms” unveils the Inner Workings of International Courts, and the authors embark on a fascinating journey to expose the intricacies of the international judicial community. This thought-provoking book delves into the practices, interactions, and confrontations among legal professionals that ultimately...

Lectures On Procedural Laws (2023) By Aishwarya Pratap Singh, Lexis Nexis [Book Review]

The conflict and court marshal side by side and procedural law assumes the ‘role of lens of the law’ to magnify the litigation and judgment. The procedural laws sound full of magic because it conjures a world of its own and seeks to capture the ‘real’ world in its social legal milieu. Lectures on Procedural Laws by Aishwarya Pratap Singh capture the arte facts/craft of...

K G Kannabiran: The Practitioner of Insurgent Constitutionalism | Book Review Of 'The Speaking Constitution'

The character of the Indian state and politics has transformed drastically over the last few years. Mob lynchings, hate speech against minorities, criminalisation of dissent, weaponisation of extant laws against critics, and evisceration of civil liberties, among others, have largely come to constitute the everydayness of India. This transformation, notes Madhav Khosla and Milan Vaishnav in...

Book Review ;Technology And Democracy: Toward A Critical Theory Of Digital Technologies, Technopolitics, And Technocapitalism

The technology did not just allow people to connect to their dear ones virtually; it was even the primary medium through which business was conducted- during and even after the pandemic. Teaching also relied heavily on technology during the pandemic, as human mobility was highly restricted. In short, the world experienced a digital transformation. From business to education to...

Review: Report on the working of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 by Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project

In September 2022, the Government of India brought a group of eight big cats/cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Amidst the celebrations of this project, what went unnoticed was the displacement of Adivasis and other similarly marginalized communities from Bagcha village, surrounding the park. Due to this ambitious project, the Sahariya Adviasis (a...