Chief Justice of India Surya Kant held an open house interaction with law students at Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna, on September 26.
The interaction was held at the Ashoka Auditorium of CNLU. CJI Surya Kant took questions directly from students during the session. Patna High Court Chief Justice and CNLU Chancellor also attended the event.
The event was organised by the Academic and Debating Committee and the Legal Aid Cell of CNLU. During the interaction, CJI Surya Kant spoke about students’ right to peaceful protest. Responding to a question on police action during peaceful student protests, he said the judiciary remains committed to protecting the fundamental right to peaceful protest.
The CJI also spoke about the challenges faced by young lawyers, especially those from first-generation legal families.
Referring to the Sarika Tyagi case, he called for a professional assistance fund to provide financial support to young lawyers during their early years.
He also responded to concerns about high tuition fees and inadequate scholarships and said the issue would be addressed.
CNLU Vice-Chancellor Professor Faizan Mustafa suggested integrating court apprenticeship into legal education. He proposed a four-year academic structure with the final year dedicated to mandatory court apprenticeship.
CJI Surya Kant welcomed the proposal and said it could help integrate practical litigation experience with legal education.
The CJI also answered questions about confidentiality of dissenting opinions in the Collegium. He explained that disclosure of such observations could put the individual concerned in an untenable position and that transparency has limits when personal dignity is involved.
Justice V. Kameswar Rao also stressed the need to make judicial clerkships at High Courts more competitive and financially attractive.
The CNLU Vice-Chancellor thanked the CJI for several orders that, according to him, had helped students protect their careers and lives.
Nakshab Khan is a senior journalist with nearly two decades of experience in Indian media. Beginning his career in 2007, he has worked with leading news organisations, including Times Now, News18, TV9 Network, IANS, Zee Media, UNI TV. He is currently associated with NewsX Digital as a Deputy Editor.
Over the years, Nakshab has extensively covered politics, international affairs, crime, and public policy. He has special interest in global affairs, with a strong focus on West Asian affairs. He can be reached at nakshab.ali@gmail.com.
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