L to R
- Justice N. Anand Venkatesh ( Judge, Madras High Court)
(Podium) - K.V. Ramani ( Founder and Chancellor, Sai University)
- Mr. Sriram Panchu (senior advocate and mediator)
- Prof. Jamshed Bharucha ( Vice Chancellor, Sai University)
- Mr. Shiju MV (Acting Dean, Sai University School of Law)
Chennai, April 6, 2024: School of Law, Sai University proudly yesterday presented the second lecture in the S. Krishnamurti Endowment Lectures in Law series at The Music Academy, Chennai. The concept behind Sai University’s Public Lectures emanates from the vision of the School of Law to spur critical thinking on legal issues and engage with the legal fraternity and the public. Through these Lectures, the law school aims to spearhead discussions, reflections and engagement with ideas beyond the familiar boundaries of legal knowledge.
Senior Advocate and Mediator Sriram Panchu presented the second lecture in the S. Krishnamurti Endowment Lecture series on law, titled ‘Doctrine of Judicial Review and Chief Justice John Marshall’. In this enlightening talk about the authority of courts to review statutes, Mr. Panchu emphasized the need for India to shape its constitution as a fundamental guide for national life. He highlighted John Marshall’s pivotal role in establishing the court as the protector and interpreter of the constitution, underscoring the significance of judicial review.
Furthermore, Advocate Sriram Panchu emphasized that the constitution holds the highest authority, with the court serving as its interpreter, defender, and guardian.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh, the chief guest at the lecture, highlighted the pressure and criticism that judges encounter on social media, identifying it as a new challenge in their judicial duties. Furthermore, he referenced the SR Bommai case in India as a significant moment in judicial review, where it was ruled that actions taken by a President after issuing a proclamation could be subject to court review.
KV Ramani, chancellor of Sai University, and Professor Jamshed Bharucha, vice-chancellor, also spoke on the occasion. The vote of thanks was delivered by Professor MV Shiju, acting dean, School of Law.
These endowment lectures have been named after Late Sri. S.Krishnamurti, who was a gentleman and lawyer who practiced Company Law and Taxation Law in Madras High Court and in his law chambers with great expertise and elan. He was also a great humanist who helped everyone in need with pro bono counsel. Sri S.Krishnamurti also supported several students with scholarships for their education. The S.Krishnamurti Endowment Lectures in Law has been instituted by his daughter, Dr. Vasantha Bharucha from New Delhi, with a generous grant, enabling these lectures to be organised every three months.
Senior Advocate Sriram Panchu, one of India’s leading lawyers and an internationally renowned mediator has worked on several high profile cases and worked extensively on Constitutional and Commercial Law. He helped set up India’s first court-annexed mediation center and has spearheaded the mediation movement in India, training over a thousand mediators. He has been involved in the mediation of various high profile disputes including the Assam-Nagaland border dispute, and the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute, amongst others. He writes regularly on issues of public and national interest.
About Sai University
Sai University was founded with the Vision to establish India’s First International University. As a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary university, we aim to integrate the three fundamental pillars of education – Teaching, Research and Societal Impact to provide a holistic model for the advancement of knowledge and learning.
Sai University’s international aspiration is reinforced by the university’s vibrant programs, unique and distinctive curricula, excellent students, led by some of the finest faculty and researchers from multiple disciplines and eminent international board of members, as well as advisory board members.
School of Law
The School of Law at Sai University reflects the university’s vision and aspiration.
The first program to be offered was the Daksha Fellowship, a first-of-its-kind law, policy and business fellowship for young lawyers, public policy professionals and other graduates with a prior foundation in law. By combining academic rigour with innovative curriculum design, industry exposure and global engagement, the Fellowship moulded young lawyers and policymakers to find their own Daksha, abilities and skill-sets that help them shine in the world. Sai University’s law school also launched a distinctive and pioneering LLM program in Regulation and Governance, to engage legal scholars and thinkers with the ever-evolving regulatory state. The law school also offers students the BA LLB (Hons.) program. The program is designed to provide students with deep foundational grounding in the fundamental branches of law, as well as to satisfy applicable requirements for admission to practise. Besides the unique programs, the school is also emerging as a leader in legal research, with the faculty passionately involved in several research projects cutting across various disciplines, from sustainability to technology to regulation and governance. The School of Law also offers an MA in Public Policy, LLM in Regulation and Governance and a PG Diploma in Technology, Law and Policy
