Father of modern legal education NR Madhava Menon dies
Thiruvananthapuram: Father of modern legal education in India, N R Madhava Menon, passed away at a hospital here, family sources said Wednesday. He was 84. "He was undergoing treatment for the past one week for age-related ailments at a private hospital here. He left us around 11.30 PM yesterday," a source close to the family told PTI.
The funeral will take place at 2.30 PM on Wednesday at Shanthi Kavadam, state owned crematorium, here. He is survived by wife and a son.
President of India Ram Nath Kovind condoled his death. "Sorry to hear of the passing of Prof N R Madhava Menon, educationist, scholar and a pioneering spirit behind modern legal education in India, beginning with National Law School of India University, Bangalore. "My condolences to his family and countless students," the official Twitter account of the President read.
Kerala Governor P Sathasivam said he was "deeply saddened" by the demise of Menon, whose insightful ideas modernised legal education in India. "As an authority in legal and constitutional matters, he used his limitless erudition to build world class institutions and to enlighten generations of students," he tweeted.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his condolence message said Menon gave a new direction to the legal education sector in the country. "The National Law School in Bangalore was established due to the efforts taken by Menon. Later, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyothi Basu invited him to start a similar institution in Kolkata," Vijayan said in a release, adding his achievements would make any Keralite proud.
Menon started his legal career with the Kerala High Court at the age of 21 after graduating from Government Law College. He later shifted his base to Delhi and joined the faculty of Aligarh Muslim University in 1960.
Menon moved to Delhi University in 1965 and headed the prestigious Campus Law Centre. He established the National Law Institute of India University (NSLIU) in Bengaluru in 1986 and was the Vice Chancellor of the university for 12 years.
Menon was also the founding director of National Judicial Academy in Bhopal. The nation honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2003 for his contributions to the legal field.
Sorry to hear of the passing of Prof N.R. Madhava Menon, educationist, scholar and a pioneering spirit behind modern legal education in India, beginning with National Law School of India University, Bangalore. My condolences to his family and countless students
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 8, 2019 ">
Sorry to hear of the passing of Prof N.R. Madhava Menon, educationist, scholar and a pioneering spirit behind modern legal education in India, beginning with National Law School of India University, Bangalore. My condolences to his family and countless students #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 8, 2019
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BCI urges CJI to take action against Andhra HC judge for sending young lawyer to 24-hour custody
New Delhi (PTI): The Bar Council of India on Wednesday sought the urgent intervention of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following a "deeply disturbing" incident where a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court reportedly sent a young advocate to
24-hour judicial custody over a procedural lapse.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, in a formal representation, termed the conduct of Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao "grossly inappropriate" and "damaging to the confidence of the Bar".
“I most respectfully request your Lordship to kindly take immediate institutional cognizance of the matter and call for the video recording of the proceedings, the order passed, and the surrounding circumstances.
“I further request that appropriate administrative action may kindly be considered, including withdrawal of judicial work from the learned Judge pending review, his immediate transfer to some far off High Court, and his nomination for appropriate judicial training/orientation on court management, judicial temperament, Bar-Bench relations, and proportional exercise of contempt/judicial authority,” Mishra wrote.
This representation is made to preserve the “dignity, moral authority and public confidence of the judiciary”, he said, adding, “Judges command the highest respect not by fear, but by fairness, patience, restraint and constitutional humility”.
The communication urged the CJI to intervene at the earliest to ensure that the faith of Bar, particularly young advocates, in the protective and corrective role of the judiciary is restored.
The controversy stems from proceedings on May 5.
According to the BCI, a video circulating online shows Justice Rao rebuking a young advocate who was unable to produce a specific order copy during a hearing.
The letter said that despite the advocate "repeatedly seeking pardon and mercy" and claiming he was in physical pain, the judge remained "unmoved".
The judge allegedly told the lawyer, "now you will learn," and mocked his experience before directing the Registrar and police personnel to take him into custody for 24 hours.
The BCI chairperson said that the judge’s actions lacked proportionality and fairness.
"The dignity of the court is not enhanced when a lawyer is made to beg for grace in open court and is still sent to custody for a procedural lapse," the letter said.
"A young lawyer... is an officer of the Court, still learning, still growing, and entitled to correction without humiliation," it added.
The bar body said that such actions create a "chilling effect" on the legal fraternity, particularly among junior members, and undermine the mutual respect required between the Bench and the Bar.
