India still lacks knowledge of international law: President

BD Narayankar

Press Trust Of India

Bangalore, August 7: President Pratibha Patil on Sunday said there was the need to include the comparative study of both international and domestic laws to equip professionals to meet challenges in the 21st century.

“Law courses must take international and comparative law perspectives in the syllabi, along with necessary understanding of domestic law,” she said while addressing the 19th annual convocation of the National Law School of India University here.

Ruing India’s lack of awareness in the legal systems of other countries and expertise in international law, Patil emphasised the need for legal institutions to adopt internationally acceptable standards to overcome the problem. She also urged lawyers to develop abilities to cope with change in technology and its application in their legal profession.

Patil further urged lawyers to seek a remedy to high litigation cost which denied justice to a large section of the people. “So long that (high litigation cost) is the case. We cannot say that all have the potential to knock the doors of law to seek justice,” she added.

Urging lawyers and judges to discourage litigation, she said they should be engaged in securing and finding justice for their clients and litigants. “Disputes are inevitable, but litigation is not. Lawyers can suggest simplified options to their clients so that justice is neither denied nor delayed,” Patil said.


Links

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/india-still-lacks-knowledgeinternational-law-president/445121/

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-still-lacks-knowledge-of-int-l-law-President/Article1-730533.aspx

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=111215

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/182023/india-still-lacks-knowledge-intl.html

http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=379139&catid=36

http://legalplanet.com/2011/08/07/india-still-lacks-knowledge-of-intl-law-president-msn-india/