Achievers do not set targets. You do not accept defeat. And as long as you are in the field of law, you are a student of law.It is not everyday that law students are handed out snappy checklists to ply the trade as they prepare to step into the world of lawyers, judgments and the judiciary.But Friday was just such an opportunity as former Chief Justice Dipak Misra inaugurated the fifth edition of Bennett University’s national moot court competition 2023, which is organised by its School of Law. The three-day competition has 42 participating teams drawn from law campuses across the country. Listing out the fundamental qualities of a great lawyer, Misra in his address said one has to first and foremost be a cultured human being. Apart from law, great lawyers are well-versed in history, philosophy, psychology among other subject interests. Humble articulation and proper presentation are a must. Most importantly, “a lawyer should never feel or develop a habit” of being complacent about his/her case or branch of law, the former CJI told students. Speaking of himself as “a perpetual student of law, as law is ever changing”, he emphasised to the attentive audience the importance of reading judgments in totality. “Do not read the headnote alone. Read the judgment,” he said. He urged the young lawyers-to-be and their seniors to talk logically at all times and whenever arguing a matter, not to make statements clumsy—articulation must be based on acceptable syllogistic propositions. He took the example of how Nani Palkhivala had structured his argument in the famous Kesavananda Bharati case (basic structure doctrine) and how the judges had enumerated the same.Misra kept the audience spellbound with cases and stories of Socrates and Adi Shankaracharya, John Steinbeck, Henry David Thoreau and even the Ramayana. “Who was the first amicus curiae in world history and mythology?” he queried, going on to lucidly talk about the role Vibhishana played in advising Ravana to not burn the captured Hanuman. “He is an ambassador, and ambassadors of another state are not to be attacked as a matter of foreign policy, Vibhishana told Ravana,” Misra told the story. “If you are appointed amicus curiae, it is the case that has primacy over anything….”Saying that he never spoke on a given topic on principle, Misra still made three points on data protection, which is the moot court competition’s theme. He said, “One, all of you know privacy has been declared a fundamental right. Two, privacy without data protection is absolutely hollow. And three, the sequitur, life without data protection is hollow. Liberty without data protection is sans meaning.”For their careers, he urged the students to create an “amalgamation” of the two concepts of growth: quantum leap and incremental progress steadily. “Make some kind of amalgamation between the two concepts of quantum leap and incremental steady growth. Only then will you succeed in law.” And the final missive. “Concentration is required of every student of law.”
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/privacy-without-data-protection-is-absolutely-hollow-says-ex-cji/articleshow/97809185.cms
