Legal Workshop Series: Inaugural Session of All India Seminar on Judicial Reforms

On 31^st July 2010, for once, the rains nearly spoiled it.

With much excitement and anticipation, I waited for the inaugural session of the All India Seminar on Judicial Reforms (Balance Sheet of 60 years of the administration of Justice under the Indian Constitution 1950 – 2010) to begin. The venue is Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. A legal workshop like this cannot be missed as it touches varied facets of Indian law.

The brief spell of rains, that I typically long for and love, nearly spoilt the D-day for me, as I reached the venue, where it was drizzling. It was crowded with lawyers who were in no mood to stand in the rain and they just wanted to rush through the heavy security checks. In case you are wondering whether all legal seminars have tough security checks, I’d like to say that this one was special for two significant reasons.

Legal Workshop Series: Inaugural Session by President of India

Firstly, the inaugural session of the legal workshop was inaugurated by Her Excellency, Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the President of India and presided over by Justice S.H. Kapadia, the Chief Justice of India.

The seminar was organized by the Confederation of Indian Bar and supported by Konrad Adenauer Foundation. My second reason for calling this a special seminar is that it was completely conceptualized and implemented by none other than Pravin H. Parekh, Sr. Advocate and President of the Confederation of Indian Bar. Known as a brilliant multi-tasking ‘king of ceremonies,’ P.H. Parekh is a name that is synonymous with success, perfectionism and total attention to even the tiniest details. Even when he is surrounded by VIPs at most times, he never misses an opportunity to be a very thoughtful, caring host, always greeting every guest with warmth and wit. To watch him in action is a lesson for all in multi-tasking, relationship building and definitely, organizing the best ceremonies on grand scale.

The main hall was packed for the inaugural session of the legal workshop despite the high level security checks. There were hundreds of law students from law colleges across the country. Advocates from different parts of the country were also a part of this seminar. The presence of legal academicians and teaching faculty from distant places made it truly worth attending. Indeed, every one waited for the arrival of the President with waited breath.

Her arrival was elegant and regal. She wore a beautiful saree in mustard and blue, with its pallu covering her head. She bowed to the audience and had a warm smile too. A group of high school students sang the national anthem. It was a regal sight to behold, with three rows of beautifully picked exotic flowers decorating the dais, adding color, light and a fusion of depth to the august occasion.

Following the national anthem, the President of India inaugurated the session by lighting the tall, beautiful lamp adorned with an exquisitely crafted peacock at the top.

[Swapna Raghu Sanand, Editor @lawisgreek.com , is the author of this report on the Inaugural Session of the All India Seminar on Judicial Reforms.]