DBRANLU Sonepat To Organise Commemorative Series On 50 Years Of Justice H.R. Khanna's Constitutional Dissent

The series seeks to revisit the significance of Justice H.R. Khanna's dissent in ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla, delivered during the Emergency (1975–77), where the issue before the Supreme Court was whether the right to life and personal liberty could be extinguished during suspension of constitutional remedies. While the majority upheld the State's position, Justice Khanna, in his dissent, held that the right to life and liberty is inherent and not solely dependent on Article 21.

The university stated that the initiative aims to advance constitutional scholarship and foster interdisciplinary dialogue on issues of liberty, rule of law, and judicial independence. The series commemorates the 50th anniversary of Justice Khanna's dissent and will be conducted as a year-long academic programme focusing on the development of the right to life and liberty in India.

The programme will be conducted in a coordinated manner across participating institutions and will include keynote addresses, panel discussions, and paper presentations involving judges, academicians, practitioners, and students.

Objectives

The academic series aims to:

• Commemorate the 50th anniversary of Justice Khanna's dissent

• Examine the jurisprudence and role of dissent in constitutional adjudication

• Facilitate scholarly engagement on constitutionalism and civil liberties

• Promote institutional collaboration and interdisciplinary dialogue

Themes

The series is anchored around the theme “50 Years of the Constitutional Dissent: Revisiting Justice H.R. Khanna's Legacy” and includes focus areas such as:

• Right to dissent and constitutional legacy

• Emergency powers and constitutional limits

• Preventive detention and civil liberties

• Right to privacy and surveillance laws

Participants may also engage with sub-themes including constitutional jurisprudence, judicial independence, rule of law during emergencies, and emerging challenges such as digital constitutionalism and state surveillance.

Proposed Activities

The series will include:

• Keynote addresses by members of the judiciary

• National conference with panel discussions and paper presentations

• Commemorative lectures

• Workshops for research development

• Essay competitions

• Valedictory conference and publication of selected works

Institutional Details

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonepat was established in 2012 by the State Government of Haryana. The university aims to impart advanced legal education and promote interdisciplinary understanding.

Key Persons

• Justice Rajesh Bindal (Former Judge, Supreme Court of India)

• Justice Ravi Shankar Jha (Former Chief Justice, Punjab & Haryana High Court)

• Justice M.M. Kumar (Former Chief Justice, Jammu & Kashmir High Court)

• Prof. (Dr.) Devinder Singh (Vice Chancellor, DBRANLU)

Organising Secretary: Prof. (Dr.) Ashutosh Mishra

Coordinators:

• Prof. (Dr.) Varun Chhachhar

• Prof. (Dr.) Debasis Poddar

• Dr. Deepak Kumar Srivastava

• Mr. Siddhartha Fuller

Contact

Email: dbranlu@dbranlu.ac.in
Contact: 7905634045

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