Asian Law College (ALC) – which is a part of Asian Education Group and is ranked as one of the best Law Colleges in Delhi NCR – organized its 1st ALC “National Moot Court Competition” on “Constitutional Law” on 16th and 17th February 2020 at its Noida campus with due dignity and great success. In all, there were 24 teams and 72 participants from top law colleges and universities across the country who vied for honours at this competition. The event also witnessed the formal inauguration of “ALC Judicial Coaching Academy” within the college precincts.
As part of the ‘ALC National Moot Court Competition 2020 Inaugural Ceremony’ held on Sunday, 16th February 2020, Former Chief Justice of India – Honourable Justice Dipak Misra – graced the occasion as an Eminent Guest and delivered a highly enlightening inaugural address.
Hon’ble Justice Deepak Misra has served as the 45th Chief Justice of India from 28th August 2017 till 2nd October 2018. Born on 3rd October 1953, Justice Mishra enrolled at the Bar in 1977 and practiced at the Orissa High Court. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of Orissa High Court in 1996 and was made Permanent Judge in 1997 at the Madhya Pradesh High Court. In December 2009, Justice Mishra was appointed as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court until May 2010, after which he was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Justice Misra was elevated to the Supreme Court of India on 10th October 2011.
As a judge, Justice Mishra has delivered several judgements in the field of human rights, civil liberties and rights concerning the lives of the citizens. He has also decided important issues pertaining to commercial and contractual matters, corporate law and issues in the field of taxation and arbitration.
As the Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Justice Misra has delivered a plethora of landmark judgements. He has contributed immensely to Indian Constitutional jurisprudence and each of his judgement can be said to constitute watershed moments in Indian Judicial history for enhancing the scope of the golden trinity of rights under the Constitution. Hon’ble Justice Misra presided over the Constitutional bench that delivered the historic unanimous ruling on Section 377 of the IPC, lifting the ban on the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple, right to die with dignity as a fundamental right, making adultery no longer a crime, and lifting the ban on the movies Padmavaat and Meesha.
The right to choice as an integral part of right to life and liberty has been emphasized in his judgements in Hadiya and Shakti Vahini cases.
Furthermore, the path breaking judgement in which the parliament was asked to frame law to ensure decriminalisation of politics and directing for wide publicity of criminal cases pending against candidates, Justice Misra provided the citizens of India the right to be informed about the antecedents of the candidates contesting elections.
Justice Misra led the bench which rejected the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon’s appeal to stop his execution and also upheld the death sentence awarded to the four convicts of Nirbhaya case. Justice Misra headed the bench of the Supreme Court that settled the 120-year-old Cauvery water dispute.
Justice Misra has been a strong upholder of constitutional values and citizenry rights and an ardent defender of the rights to equality, liberty and dignity.
Delivering the inaugural address for the maiden event ‘ALC National Moot Court Competition 2020 Inaugural Ceremony’ held on Sunday, 16th February 2020 at Asian Law College-Noida, Honourable Justice Dipak Misra & Former Chief Justice of India truly enlightened the audience with his great erudition and knowledge steeped in his rich repertoire of experience. Citing the life and times of four great historical personages – namely, Archimedes, Demosthenes, Newton & Abraham Lincoln – he beautifully explained their core achievements and correlated the same with some of the most basic tenets of jurisprudence that students of law stand to learn from each of these great men – viz., value of research, advocacy, intellectual humility and ethical conduct, respectively.
Justice Misra then delved upon the supreme importance of books and learning and the accumulation of knowledge and understanding for an aspiring law student that would help them stand in good stead in their careers. He further stated that “a student of law must stand against anarchy” and they should always strive to maintain the national character of their motherland, India” throughout their careers in the field of law. Talking specifically about the moot court competition, he advised the students, “Never compare yourself with anyone in life; participate with patience and control over anger, and always remember that participation is in itself an achievement.”