Lawctopus Law School Book Club Is Here!
This week we tell you our plans for the LLS Book Club, and bring the story of a rather unconventional Judge.
Lawctopus Law School Book Club is Now Live!
The Lawctopus Law School Book Club is now live!
We have more than 300 members as of now (and a growing waitlist). The book which we are reading from in the first month is A People’s Constitution by Rohit De.
Rohit De’s book traces how the Constitution impacted the lives of ordinary people and how in turn was also shaped by it. A dominant narrative is how the Constitution and Supreme Court were elite institutions that were not accessible to the common public until the 1970s, after which it became the ‘Supreme Court of Indians’ from the ‘Supreme Court of India’, as per Upendra Baxi. Rohit De’s book argues against it and provides instances of how the Court was accessed by the ordinary people during the initial post Independence years, because of the Constitution.
Our first meeting was on January 31. We had an ice-breaking session where people got to know each other through activities and games. After that, we discussed the first two chapters of the books- summarizing them and discussing the themes that come out of them.
On February 15, we have a discussion session with Dr. Rohit De himself. This will be a great opportunity for people to interact with him, and get his perspective on the book.
If you wish to join the Book Club, fill the form here. We will get back to you soon.
The idea behind the book club is to have a community that drives you to learn, read and think more. It is also a safe space for you to talk, discuss and grow. Being with a set of peers with a common interest is a great way to aid your learning. Click here to read more.
The Judge Who Cycled to Court
We often hear stories of people in power trying to get as many benefits doled out by the State, to live a lavish life. However, Justice Rajender Sachar (December 22, 1923 – April 20, 2018), former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, was one who was cut from a different cloth.
In his autobiography, In Pursuit of Justice, he talks about his ordeals in traveling to the court and how he dealt with it.
While he was at the Delhi High Court, there was a severe oil crisis in the country around 1973-74. The oil crisis was due to the embargo on the export of oil by the OPEC countries during their war with Israel. During this time, the New York Times reported that “many businessmen and civil servants are using buses for the first time.” Justice Sachar writes that even Indira Gandhi “had announced that she would be switching to a horse-driven coach, but that was only for a few days”.
Read the entire article here.
Quotes Corner
The Constitution is not for the exclusive benefit of governments and states… it also exists for the common man, for the poor and the humble… for the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker.
- Justice Vivian Bose
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If you want to write for us, get in touch at umang.poddar@lawctopus.com