Institutional Capacity Building: The Judiciary

National Judicial Colloquium on Reproductive Justice

In December 2019, we organised a National Judicial Colloquium in collaboration with the Center for Reproductive Rights to understand the different viewpoints of various members of the judiciary on reproductive justice, highlight key aspects of national jurisprudence on the right to abortion, and provide a global human rights and comparative perspective on reproductive justice.

The Colloquium touched upon three major issues relating to reproductive justice - access to abortion, contraceptive information and services, and maternal health - and was very successful in establishing a platform for a healthy exchange of ideas and concerns by bringing together practitioners from the legal and medical communities to engage critically on reproductive rights issues.

2019

Dr. Nikhil Datar v Union of India

CJLS filed a joint intervention with the Pratigya Campaign in Dr. Nikhil Datar v. Union of India and highlighted that:

  1. Abortion must be performed with the informed consent and there should be no requirement to approach the Court in any event.

  2. Where an abortion is sought after 20 weeks of gestation, the pregnancy can be terminated at the discretion of the pregnant person based on the opinion of the registered medical practitioner, without the requirement of any recourse to a medical board or the courts.

  3. No medical practitioner should be prosecuted for conducting termination of pregnancy in good faith with the consent of the pregnant woman in accordance with the MTP Act.

  4. There should be an urgent listing and disposal of a case relating to the termination of a pregnancy.

  5. The formation of medical boards and, the requirement of Board authorization for termination of pregnancy is unconstitutional and should not be insisted upon.

2019

Judicial Diversity Conference

The Judicial Diversity Conference was organised in August 2018 in collaboration with Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy to identify the underlying causes that prevent marginalised groups from being represented in the higher and lower judiciaries, explore short-term and long-term measures to improve judicial diversity, and initiate a conversation to establish an objective set of criteria to evaluate the impact of diversity within the judiciary.

2018

Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation

Review petition filed by Professor Dipika Jain, in collaboration with other academics

2013

Sensitization Programme on Justicing: Balancing Rules, Principles and Social Context

We conducted a judicial training for judicial officers from the Delhi Higher Judicial Service and the Delhi Judicial Service

2018

Legislative Interventions: A Collaborative Approach

Submission to ICCPR Commiteee for the 141st Session - India Review

In collaboration with CommonHealth

2024

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Comments to the Draft National Health Data Management Policy 2.0

In collaboration with Access Now, Article 21, Centre for New Economics Studies, Center for Internet and Society, Internet Freedom Foundation, Swasti-Health Catalyst, Population Fund of India, and Priyam Lizmary Cherian, Advocate, High Court of Delhi

2022

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Recommendations to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the Rights of Women

In collaboration with Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India, SAMA, CREA, MASUM, CEHAT, Ipas Development Foundation, CommonHealth, ASAP, and individual lawyers and activists

2020

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The NHRC accepted most of our recommendations. The final advisory, “Human Rights Advisory on Rights of Women in the Context of COVID-19”, can be downloaded here.

Recommendations to the 2020 Draft Rules pursuant to Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019

CJLS submitted two sets of recommendations through consultative and collaborative deliberations.

July 2020 Download

May 2020 Download

Universal Periodic Review Submission

In collaboration with Hidden Pockets Collective and CommonHealth

2022

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Civil Society Recommendations on the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020

In collaboration with a collective of diverse individuals, organisations, networks, alliances and people’s movements

2020

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Comments on the Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilization And Welfare) Bill, 2021

In collaboration with CREA

2021

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Universal Periodic Review Submission

In collaboration with India HIV/AIDS Alliance and Pehchaan.

2015

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Recommendation on
Decriminalisation of Abortion

Submitted in response to the call for consultations issued by the Committee for Reforms in Criminal Law at the National Law University, Delhi in collaboration with a group of diverse individuals, organisations, networks, alliances and people’s movements

2020

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Legal Empowerment

  • Workshop on the Rights of Transgender & Gender-Variant Persons in India

    Workshop for the India Vision Foundation on the NALSA decision, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act and more specifically, on the rights of transgender and gender-diverse persons in carceral facilities.

    2022

  • Workshop on Sexual Harassment at the Workplace, Maternity Benefit Laws

    The workshop was conducted by Esha Shekhar and Neha Koshy, who authored a book titled, "Understanding Workplace laws for women in India".

    2021

  • Workshop on International Law and Policy: Issues of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics for LGBTI activists

    In collaboration with ARC International.

    2019

  • Orientation on Research and Activism

    2017

  • Workshops, panel discussions and choreographed performances

    In collaboration with Gender Matters

    2017

  • Empirical Research Workshop on the Intersections of Research: Queer Persons and Access to Justice

    2013

  • LGBTI Rights and Schools: Perspectives from Schools in Delhi

    In collaboration with CREA 

    2013

Conferences and Symposium

  • Caste, Carcerality & the Digital | Nikita Sonavane in Conversation with Dhiren Borisa

    The lecture was part of the annual Law & Justice Scholar Lecture series. This year’s lecture was delivered by the Law & Justice Scholar, 2023-24 Nikita Sonavane with Professor Dhiren Borisa joining as the Discussant.

    Nikita and Professor Dhiren engaged in conversations on the changing landscape of rights and access to justice in the backdrop of digital advancement and carceral politics.

    2024

  • International Symposium on Health Governance in a Politicical Landscape: Interplay of Health Law, Society and Political Economy

    The Centre for Justice, Law, and Society (CJLS) and Jindal Global Law Review (JGLR) atJindal Global Law School (JGLS), O.P. Jindal Global University and the Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) at the Indian Institute for Foreign Trade (established by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India) and WTO Chairs Programme (India Chair) collaborated on an international Symposium among scholars, activists, policymakers and students on the intricate relationship between health law and political economy.

    The Symposium aimed to critically examine the intersections of healthcare delivery, legal frameworks, global relations, and socio-economic dynamics, with a vision to reshape narratives and drive tangible change. It sought to spark ongoing dialogue and advocacy, envisioning a future where health is universally recognized as a right and where political and economic systems prioritize the upliftment of marginalized communities. As discussions evolve, the Symposium emphasizes the need to navigate the complexities of global health governance, keeping in mind its profound impact on individual lives and societal structures.

    2024

  • Consultation on Access to Justice in Punjab

    The preliminary consultation was held to create space for engaging with academics, activists, community leaders and key stakeholders who are familiar with the socio-political landscape of the region and are working towards addressing issues of access to justice, particularly from a gendered lens. The purpose of this consultation was to identify broad themes, which we will explore further in the field research. The consultation with academics, activists and civil society actors will help us understand the various issues that women face in Punjab and how the specific cultural, economic, social and political context of Punjab influences how women access justice in Punjab.

    2024

  • Queer Methodology: Theory, Politics, and Praxis Workshop

    This event was a collaborative effort between CJLS and CWR at Jindal Global Law School and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

    This workshop engaged with some of the key queer research methodology texts in an intimate setting and envisage what does it mean to do collaborative queer methodological work for scholars work in/from specific places in the global south.

    2023

  • Global Reproductive Politics, Reproductive Justice and Limitations of Law

    Part 1 of the Symposium was organised by CJLS In collaboration with Sruti Disability Rights Centre, TransCare India, Rising Flame, The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Center for Reproductive Rights, Transmen Collective and CommonHealth India. Part 1 of the Symposium was composed of two panels:

    Panel 1 on Decriminalising Abortion: Towards a Rights-Based Approach with Professor Alicia Yamin (Lecturer on Law and the Senior Fellow on Global Health and Rights, the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics, Harvard Law School), Clara Rita Padilla (Founder and Executive Director, EnGendeRights and Spokesperson, Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN)), Agnieszka Król (Sociologist, Researcher, and Activist) and Phylis Mbeke Ndolo (Executive Director, Women spaces Africa) moderated by Andrea Parra (Queer Colombian Attorney, Feminist Legal Activist, Experiential Trainer and Translator).

    Panel 2 on Reproductive Justice: A Discourse in Centering Access with Professor Mytheli Sreenivas (Associate Professor, History and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Ohio State University), Nikita Sonavane (Co-founder, Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project, Legal Researcher and Advocate), Maria Ní Fhlatharta (Real Productive Justice Project, Centre for Disability Law and Policy) and Blas Radi (Researcher, the Argentinian Society of Philosophical Analysis and a Human Rights Activist) moderated by Vqueeram (Independent Researcher).

    2022

  • Rethinking Crime and Punishment in India: Towards an Anti-Carceral Politics

    Over the course of four webinars, we interrogated issues of crime and punishment in India, particularly in relation to caste, gender, and securitisation. CJLS, in collaboration with Criminal Justice And Police Accountability Project & Detention Solidarity, brought together a range of speakers, including those affected by carceral politics, lawyers, scholars, and activists, to help us frame what anti-carceral politics in India can look like.

    2021

  • Reproductive Health, Politics and Law in Neo-Liberal Times

    2021

  • The Rhetoric of Legal Reforms: Abortion, Gender and the State

    The webinar was organised by the Centre in collaboration with BehanBox to discuss and deliberate the challenges of the proposed abortion law reforms in 2020. The webinar highlighted the need for a consultative law making process while engaging with the State on gender justice.

    The panel featured Nidhi Goyal from Rising Flame, Nikita Sonavane from the CPA Project, Sunita fromHahe ryana ASHA Workers Union, and Vqueeram, from the Centre for Law and Policy Research.

    2020

  • Webinar Series: Abortion Laws in India: Perspectives from the Margins

    In collaboration with YP Foundation.

    2020

  • Rising Through the Challenge: Documenting and Analysing Best Practices for advancing Human Rights related to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression and Sex Characteristics using the tools of International Law, Domestic Litigation, and Apology/Reparation

    This international dialogue, in collaboration with ARC International, aimed to create a space to reflect on and analyse the ways in law, social transformation and the struggle for dignity and justice are linked. It also aimed to document and publish these reflections so that they may be shared and utilized by a broad range of global stakeholders.

    2019

  • Abortion in Indian Courts: Pending Challenges and the Way Forward

    In collaboration with Center for Reproductive Rights.

    2019

  • Sexing South Asia: Law, Activism and Sexual Justice

    Sexing the Law, Activism and Sexual Justice was conference in collaboration with the University of Connecticut and University of Sussex that urged us to reconsider how a politics of sexual justice can be auto-critical, intersectional, reparative and inclusive. The conference explored the role of legal institutions and the State in regulating, controlling and conforming gender and sexuality.

    Dr. Lynette Chua and Satya Rai Nagpaul delivered the opening and closing keynote addresses.

    Learn more about the event here.

    2019

  • Reproductive Rights in Indian Courts: Celebrating Progress, Identifying Challenges, and Discussing the Way Forward

    The Centre hosted a one-day symposium together with the Center for Reproductive Rights on ‘Reproductive Rights in Indian Courts: Celebrating Progress, Identifying Challenges and Discussing the Way Forward‘ at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on February 11th, 2017.

    The symposium deliberated on judicial recognition of women’s reproductive rights as a fundamental right. Courts in India are increasingly being approached to seek remedies for violations of women’s reproductive rights in the context of preventable maternal mortality and denial of access to safe and legal abortion and other violations.

    You can learn more about the discussions here.

    2017

  • 'Left' in the Dark?: Post-Colonial Conversations on Law, Neoliberalism and Queer Feminist Futures

    ‘Left’ in the Dark was an international conference that created a space for conversations on sex and gender politics in post/ settler colonial spaces in neo-liberal times.

    The conference was organised as a continuation of the Jindal Global Law Review‘s special double issue themed ‘Law, Culture and Queer Politics in Neoliberal Times’.

    2014

Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series

Over the course of the last decade CJLS has endeavoured to create spaces for holding critical conversations that explore the contested domains on sex and sexuality to bring forth the nuances and complexities that inform our understanding of sexuality and desire. We have been organising the Law, Sexuality & Society Lecture Series since 2014 inviting scholars and activists in the field of sexuality and gender studies to share their experiences and expertise with students and faculty at Jindal Global Law School.

Through this series, we propose to interrogate the role of the law as a tool of dominance in the hands of those exercising socio-political power to further entrench cis-heteropatriarchal norms as well as the emerging resistance to such classifications and categorisations of bodies and persons.

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (Tenth Edition)

    The Tenth Law, Sexuality & Society Annual Lecture Series, 2024 organised by the Centre attempts to take forward the conversations on the role of the law in shaping the narratives and informing dominant discourses on identity, sex, gender and sexuality.

    In this edition, we were in conversation with Dipika Thakur who spoke on Reimagining Economic Justice through Trans Rights; Abirami Jyotheeswaran who discussed the film 2500 Years of Slavery Voices of Dalit Women; and Professor Priya Gupta who discussed Law & Political Economy Method.

    2024

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (Ninth Edition)

    The ninth edition of the Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series focused on the theme of “Towards Anti-Caste and Anti-Carceral Politics.” The Centre hosted three speakers who engaged with abolition and anti-carcerality from lenses of caste, gender, imperialism and intersectionality. For the first lecture, Vqueeram spoke on “Towards a Trans Practice of Abolition”. This was followed by Sunaina Arya who gave a lecture on “Caste, Gender and Imperialism: An International Prism”. Professor Xaxa gave the final lecture on "Tribal Assertions of Identity and Rights and Carceral Politics in India."

    2023

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (Eight Edition)

    For the first lecture of the eight edition in the series, we had prominent activist and interdisciplinary artist Aroh Akunth speak to the audience about how caste interests drive economic interests and shape political aspirations in their lecture on Caste: Queer Aspirations & Politics. For the second lecture, we has the team from Kolkata Anandan for Equality & Justice (KAEJ), Sintu Bagui, Nitai Giri and Dr. Soma Roy host a screening of their film Until & Unless which chronicles the lives of 4 transgender persons prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling in NALSA. This was followed by a conversation with the guests from KAEJ. For the final lecture in the series, we had Jaya Sharma of the Kinky Collective come engage with questions of pleasure, power be consent in her lecture on An Offering from BDSM to Feminism.'

    2022

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (Seventh Edition)

    Owing to the ongoing pandemic, the series was limited to a singular lecture where we engaged virtually with prominent scholar and lawyer Kiruba Munusamy who spoke to the audience on Dalit Masculinity.

    2020

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (Sixth Edition)

    In the sixth part of the series, we invited Trans Rights Activist Simran Shaikh to hold a discussion on Diversity & Inclusion. The second speaker for the series, Justice Sabrina McKenna also spoke on Gender, Sexuality and the Bench: One Womxn’s Story as part of the Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series.

    2019

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (Fifth Edition)

    The fifth Law Sexuality & Society Lecture and Conversation Series witnessed exciting conversations from 5 key speakers which included Dhiren Borisa who spoke on Ephemeral Desires in the City: Queer Geographies and Imaginations of Freedom in Delhi, and Akshay Khanna who spoke on Between the Homophobic and the Homoerotic: Disavowal of the Erotic in the Idioms of Violence.  Jamal Siddiqui was the speaker for the third lecture and spoke on the challenges and developments in the Collectivisation of Transmen and this was followed by the lecture on Gender & Sexuality: Towards an Understanding of What Constitutes Investigative Journalism by Dhamini Ratnam. The concluding lecture in the series was by Jaya Sharma on Consent, BDSM and Beyond.

    2018

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (Fourth Edition)

    As part of the fourth Law, Sexuality & Society Lecture & Conversation Series, CJLS hosted variety of speakers to address contemporary topics and issues, particularly in the domain of queer rights. Akhil Kang was the speaker for the first lecture for the series and spoke on ‘Queering Dalits’. This was followed by a conversation between Aarav Singh and Nirvair Kaur who spoke about the challenges faced by transmen and transwomen pursuant to the decision in NALSA v Union of India. The third lecture in the series interrogated the role of the law and its impact on the lives of LBT persons with Rituparna Borah as the speaker. Jaya Sharma of Kinky Collective and Manish also held a conversation on BDSM, Consent & Social Justice and the the concluding lecture of the series was by Vqueeram and Dhruba Jyoti where they engaged in a discussion on Caste and Sexuality.

    2017

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (Third Edition)

    CJLS hosted the third Law Sexuality & Society Conversation and Lecture Series in 2016 with sessions focusing on issues of privacy, bodily autonomy liberty. Svati P Shah held the inaugural lecture for the series on   Sexuality, Privacy & the Law, especially in view of the tensions between Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and the provisions of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act of 1956.  We also had Tsohil Bhatia talk to the audience about the relationship between the body and the camera in the lecture on Exploring the Nude & the Naked and Performance to a Camera. The theme of resistance was central to the conversation facilitated by Professor Veena Oldernburg in her lecture, Lifestyle as Resistance: The Courtesans of Lucknow. Colin Gonsalves also addressed issues of privacy and bodily autonomy in his conversation on Abortion in the Supreme Court of India.

    2016

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (Second Edition)

    We hosted 6 speakers who facilitated conversations on series of topics that explored issues at the intersection of law and marginalisation. The series witnessed some exciting discussions on Law at the Intersection of Caste, Gender and Sexuality in conversation with Professor Sumit Baudh. We also had Vqueeram engage with the audience on Who is the Subject of Queer Politics and Rukmini Sen come and talk to us about Exploring the Boundaries of Legality and Transgressions in Everyday Life. Abhina Aher held a discussion on the shifting landscape of Transgender Rights Activism post the verdict in NALSA, Payoshini Mitra spoke to the intersection of Law & Sexuality in Sports. We also invited Siddharth Narain to address issues of Hate Speech, Violence & Incitement.

    2015

  • Law, Sexuality and Society Lecture and Conversation Series (First Edition)

    The first part of the Law, Sexuality & Society Conversation & Lecture Series was organised in 2012 with three lectures. The first of these was on Reproductive Rights in the Indian and International Courts, with Kerry McBroom providing an overview of the same. For the second lecture, we has Professor Veena Oldenburg providing us insights into the Legal Constructions of Sexuality in Colonial Lucknow and the concluding lecture for the series was by Danish Sheikh who facilitated a conversation on the topic of Queer Liberation and Communities of Tolerance.

    2012

Academia and Activism: Bridging the Gap

Stay tuned to know more about our events as they happen!

 

Law, Gender and Rights in the United States: A Critical Conversation Story

Justice Sabrina McKenna

2022

 

What Makes It to India’s Front Pages? Definitely Not LGBT Issues: An Analysis by Love Matters India

In collaboration with Love Matters India

2018

 

The Prohibition and Production of Pornography

Lecture by Professor Shohini Ghosh

2014

 

Transgender People, Law and Society: Struggle for Equality

Lecture by Kalki Subramanian

2012

 

Right to Health: Access to HIV Drugs, delivered

Anand Grover

2010

Distinguished Public Lecture by Professor Rachel Rebouché

Professor Rebouché delivered a Distinguished Public lecture on US Abortion Law After Roe’s Reversal. Professor Rachel Rebouché is the Dean and Peter J. Liacouras Professor of Law at the Temple University Beasley School of Law. She is a Faculty Fellow at Temple’s Center for Public Health Law Research and a member of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Dean Rebouché is a leading scholar in family law, public health, and reproductive health law. She is the author or editor of seven books, the author of dozens of articles in law reviews and peer edited journals, and a frequent contributor to national publications and media outlets in her areas of expertise.

2024

 

Report Release - Abortion Laws in India: Review of Court Cases

Keynote Address by Prof. Upendra Baxi

2019

 

Queer Discourses in India: Law and the Limits of Normal Lecture Series

2014

 

Rethinking Sexuality and Violence in the time of Backlash

Lecture by Professor Mary E. John

2014

 

‘New Intimacies/Old Desires’ Conversation Series on Queer Politics and Neoliberalism

In collaboration with the Collaborative Research Programme on Law, Postcoloniality and Culture

2012

Scholar Talk by Professor (Dr.) Debanuj DasGupta

We had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Debanuj DasGupta (pronouns: she/her) for our ‘Scholar talk’ series. Dr. DasGupta is an Assistant Professor of Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a prominent figure in the queer-feminist academic space. During our conversation, she shared her journey, from her involvement in the queer-feminist movement as a co-founder of the Naz Foundation to her academic pursuits. Dr. Debanuj also provided valuable insights into the writing process and shared amusing anecdotes from her PhD experience.

2023

 

Courtesans in Indian Literary and Cinematic Traditions

Prof. Ruth Vanita

2019

 

Discourse of Inequality within Queer and Trans Movements in India

Lecture by Svati P. Shah

2014

 

Glass Bi-Annual Public Distinguished Lecture

Lecture on Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of Nepal: A Litigant’s Perspective on Sexual Minority Litigation by Sunil Babu Pant

2013

 

Recent Challenges to Human Rights and the Law: A story of Land Rights Violations

Colin Gonsalves

2010

 
 

Film Screenings

Sambhav Film Festival on Gender, Masculinity and Relationships

2020

 

Queer Film Festival

Discussions with Danish Sheikh, Professor Laknath Jayasinghe, Professor Shama Banoo Hussain Abbasi, and Professor Sumit Baudh

2018

 

Queer Film Festival

Screening “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, “The Imitation Game”, “Margarita with a Straw”, “Dil Bole Hadippa”, “Her", Friends/Ellen/Modern Family, “And the band played” on, and “Imagine me and you”

2015

Aligarh

Discussion with Satya Rai Nagpaul

2019

 

Priscilla

In collaboration with Gender Matters and JGU’s Film Society

Discussion with Professor Oishik Sircar

2017

 

And You Thought You Knew Me

Discussion with Pramada Menon

2014

The Lesser Known Stories

Discussion with the Moitrisanjog Society

2019

 

Queer Film Festival

Discussions with Professor Saptarshi Mandal, Kavana Ramaswamy, Professor Oishik Sircar

2016

Online Campaigns

Inadequacies of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill, 2020

2020