“It is the youth and the young minds of the nation who will shape the future of the legal system”.- Justice Arun Mishra
Supreme Court Judge, Justice Arun Mishra inaugurated the third Prof. N.R. Madhava Menon SAARCLAW Mooting Competition and Law Students’ Conference on 16 February at Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida. Law students from all SAARC countries were participants of the gathering which included Supreme Courts’ judges of Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, Judge Supreme Court of Sri Lanka was the Guest of Honor for the event.
Addressing the galaxy of audience which included professors, publishers, senior advocates, and students from across the SAARC countries, Justice Mishra said that we share fears, inhibitions and the art of oratory and these traits make you a better equipped person. . To the young students present for the competition he said the lawyers of the country are equipped with resources to make changes. He quoted that lawyers since the freedom struggle have been instrumental in drafting the constitution, and bringing about changes in the legal system. He not only considered law as a profession but also as a guardian of the constitution. He told that Mooting Competitions like these were also an opportunity for cultural exchanges.
There was a special address by Mr.Muhammad Mohsen Rashid, secretary general,SAARCLAW. He condemned the terror attack of Pulwana that took place on 14 February. He criticized the lack of humanity in people these days while he also talked about how this could be rectified by the power of democracy.
Mr. Priyantha Jayawardena,Judge supreme court of Sri Lanka talked about the system of checks and balances and its importance in the context of a democracy. He enlightened the students about the separation of power and the importance of the constitution as a living document. He stated that the provision of making changes in the constitution was the very life of it. . He pointed out that the recent episode of the judges calling out on the chief justice of India; Mr. Deepak Mishra was a really saddening step as it questions the very foundation of justice
In the parallel event being conducted in the premises itself that was the Judges Colloquium, the introductory speech was given by Ms. Justice Sapna Pradhan Malla, Supreme Court judge of Nepal. She talked about the processing of their constitution that begun in 2008 and came into effect in September, 2015. She asserted about the protection of minority rights and the prohibiting discrimination against them. The conference was further proceeded by the speech of Mr. Syed Refat judge supreme court Bangladesh who explained about the fine difference between judiciary and executive.
