Bangalore: Four Advanced Legal Centres at Rs 200 cr
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Jul 19: Four Advanced Legal Studies and Research Centres are being set up in the country at a total cost of Rs 200 crore, according to Union law and justice minister M Veerappa Moily.
The centres being set up at a cost of Rs 50 crore each on the basis of the recommendations from the Knowledge Commission headed by Sam Pitroda are expected to commence functioning from next year. The location of the centres is yet to be decided, he told reporters after attending the Microsoft IP Scholarship Programme 2009 award ceremony at the National School of Law of Indian University (NSLIU).
These centres would be staffed by highly qualified teaching faculty aimed at carrying out research on various aspects of law and bring out world-class journals, train legal fraternity adopting multi-disciplinary approaches to law. They would also hold workshops and undertake in-depth research on new and developing areas of law.
These centres would have academic complex, conferencing facilities, a world-class library and other infrastructure. ``The ultimate goal is to enable the Indian legal fraternity to excel overseas as is the case with information technology sector in developed markets", he said.
A national consultation meeting would be held on August 22 and 23 at the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal to draw a road map to judicial reforms, including legal education.
Members of judiciary, juries and government, and vice-chancellors of some of the law schools would attend the meeting. The Government is working out a process, including methods such as ICT, internet, modernisation and computerisation, to reduce the burden on judiciary in terms of pendency of large number of litigations, Mr Moily said.
``There are 275 vacancies of judges in High Courts. Of these, 45 proposals informing about the vacancies already came and other proposals are yet to come.’’ he said.
Moily handed over Microsoft IP Scholarships to 28 scholars from 13 premier law institutes in the country.