Centre for criminal law to come up at Jindal varsity

On the World Social Justice Day, Jindal Global Law School of OP Jindal Global University (JGU) announced the establishment of the KK Luthra & Nirmal Luthra centre for comparative criminal law and criminal justice studies. The centre is being established to commemorate the birth centenary of KK Luthra, a stalwart of criminal law and senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India.

The centre will also honour the legacy of Nirmal Luthra, highlighting her contributions and achievements.

Speaking at the seminar to mark the occasion, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, “This is an occasion to be a champion for social justice. If injustice continues, there will be no peace in society and we need to fight this. India, through its leaders such as Mahatma Phule and Dr BR Ambedkar, had championed the cause of social justice. Experts have pointed out how there can be political equality but it is difficult to achieve social and economic equality. This can only be achieved through philanthropy.”

The centre was established by Siddharth Luthra, a distinguished lawyer and jurist, and his sisters, Geeta Luthra, senior advocate, Supreme Court of India and Dr Meera Luthra, senior consultant in Paediatric surgery as a philanthropic initiative to honour his parents’ legacy.

The founding Vice-Chancellor of JGU and Dean of Jindal Global Law School, Dr C Raj Kumar said, “The centre will promote high-quality research and knowledge creation in comparative criminal law and justice system; foster academic and practitioner dialogue on contemporary challenges in criminal law; encourage law reform initiatives for fair and effective justice delivery; create a repository of knowledge on global best practices in criminal law and justice; build a cadre of young scholars and legal professionals through training programmes and facilitate policy engagement with governments, judicial bodies, and international organisations.”

The Chancellor of JGU and MP Kurukshetra Naveen Jindal also graced the occasion.

R Venkataramani, Attorney General for India, congratulated the JGU and said, “The idea of the Constitution itself is rooted in social justice. It encompasses the whole idea of reordering a society on all key parametres. Students of law are social justice architects, especially to ensure the rule of law for all!

Justice Sanjay Karol, Judge, Supreme Court, said, “A study of research and comparative criminal law are crucial for advancing social justice. By comparing different legal systems, scholars can identify practice and promote equality, fairness and access to justice for marginalised and deprived communities.”

Other speakers who reflected on various themes included Justice Arjan K Sikri, Judge, Singapore International Commercial Court, Justice Michael Wilson, former Judge, Supreme Court of Hawaii, USA and Salman Khurshid, senior advocate, Supreme Court.