Shaping future lawyers: HPNLU workshop on filing FIRs under BNSS

The Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU), Shimla, inaugurated its first workshop under the Trial Advocacy Competition (Criminal), 2025 on Friday.

Titled “Filing of First Information Report under BNSS, 2023: Practice and Procedure”, the session was organised by the Clinical Legal Education Centre of the University.

The workshop featured Dushyant Sarpal, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Road Safety), Directorate of Transport, as the resource person. He offered students a nuanced perspective on drafting and registering FIRs under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, highlighting the importance of accuracy, adherence to procedure and investigative value. His insights blended legal principles with ground-level law enforcement experience, giving students a rare opportunity to connect theory with practice.

This event marked the beginning of a 10-month-long intra-university Trial Advocacy Competition — a pioneering initiative at HPNLU designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and courtroom practice. By simulating different stages of a criminal trial, the programme aims to instil in students not just technical skills but also discipline and ethical responsibility.

Organised under the leadership of Prof (Dr) Girjesh Shukla, Director of the Clinical Legal Education Centre, the workshop has laid a strong foundation for the upcoming rounds of the competition. It also underscores HPNLU’s commitment to promoting skill-based, experiential legal education.