VRV School of Legal Research
For common cause - For common man
The genesis for this School of Legal Research comes from the legacy of an eminent, fearless and principled lawyer – the late V.R. Venkatakrishnan (VRV). He didn’t run after fame or wealth. He was truly committed to his profession and to his colleague lawyers, his loyal clients and an admiring bench of judges whom he served with distinction, spanning more than sixty long years.
This School of Legal Research is inspired by his wisdom, knowledge and dedication. He spent his whole working life – more than six long decades – journeying through the labyrinths of a justice delivery system of yesteryears. His highly acclaimed book – Living with Laws – with reviews from legal luminaries and jurists – is full of practical insights gleaned from his own vast experience as a lawyer as well as that of his peers and seniors with whom he spent his entire life. The late Justice J.S. Verma (former Chief Justice of India) puts it succinctly “The memoirs of this eminent lawyer should be useful to lawyers and laymen alike”. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer (former Judge of the Supreme Court of India) put it as “…. this book is a good education for a fearless principled lawyer”
One of our primary missions is to provide legal research and support that enhances speedy delivery of justice to the common man whose understanding of Law is meagre, too little, inadequate, insufficient, miserable, pathetic, pitiable and tragic. And so, she/he is vulnerable – susceptible, weak, helpless and exposed. We would also seriously look at the plight of undertrials and their rights working with result-oriented professionals.
Who is common man? He/ She is “the undistinguished commoner lacking class or rank distinction or special attributes”. Can you recall the Common Man character created by the legendary R.K. Laxman who typified the hopes, aspirations, worries and the weaknesses of the average voter? So many millions of such people are amongst the numerous waiting in vain seeking justice from our courts of law (not courts of justice).
So, what is Law? It is a noun and defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as (1) “a binding custom or practice of a community: a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority; (2): the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules. The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law”.
The Collins dictionary states - “The law is a system of rules that a society or government develops in order to deal with crime, business agreements, and social relationships”.
Law is an ass, they say! Haven’t you heard this? Application of Law when it is contrary to common sense is the basis for this phrase. This proverbial expression is of English origin and is the colloquial name for a donkey. The reputation of a donkey for being obstinate and stupid is commonly known and we even have a word for it “asinine” – meaning silly, stupid etc. It is this attribute of rigidity in the application of law, that make it an ass! The Indian courts are courts of law and not courts of justice.
Laws are always couched in a complex language that are alien to the common man. The courts interpret them, and the lawyers elucidate and expose them, leaving the poor litigants at their mercy. To add to the litigant’s woes, there are the multiplicity of interpretations, the deficiencies of legal drafting leading to confusion and an excruciatingly painful and slow process of justice delivery. We need to use simple English and we have to simplify our complex and confusing laws.
Research in this direction to bring out the substance over form is urgently required to reduce the pain and agony of litigants. It is important to educate them and avoid they being dragged into unnecessary litigation due to their ignorance. Legal Research must follow a certain methodology and process to bring in the requisite rigor and discipline. Technology interventions have made this even more pervasive where the whole exercise has taken a clinical, objective approach rather than a subjective attitude more often facilitated by presenting complex thoughts, irrelevant quotes and a manipulative attitude in the hands of lawyers and judges who have the facility of words.
The VRV School of Legal Research will use a combination of appropriate technology, methodologies, process and people to achieve its Mission.
This School of Legal Research is inspired by his wisdom, knowledge and dedication. He spent his whole working life – more than six long decades – journeying through the labyrinths of a justice delivery system of yesteryears. His highly acclaimed book – Living with Laws – with reviews from legal luminaries and jurists – is full of practical insights gleaned from his own vast experience as a lawyer as well as that of his peers and seniors with whom he spent his entire life. The late Justice J.S. Verma (former Chief Justice of India) puts it succinctly “The memoirs of this eminent lawyer should be useful to lawyers and laymen alike”. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer (former Judge of the Supreme Court of India) put it as “…. this book is a good education for a fearless principled lawyer”
One of our primary missions is to provide legal research and support that enhances speedy delivery of justice to the common man whose understanding of Law is meagre, too little, inadequate, insufficient, miserable, pathetic, pitiable and tragic. And so, she/he is vulnerable – susceptible, weak, helpless and exposed. We would also seriously look at the plight of undertrials and their rights working with result-oriented professionals.
Who is common man? He/ She is “the undistinguished commoner lacking class or rank distinction or special attributes”. Can you recall the Common Man character created by the legendary R.K. Laxman who typified the hopes, aspirations, worries and the weaknesses of the average voter? So many millions of such people are amongst the numerous waiting in vain seeking justice from our courts of law (not courts of justice).
So, what is Law? It is a noun and defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as (1) “a binding custom or practice of a community: a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority; (2): the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules. The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law”.
The Collins dictionary states - “The law is a system of rules that a society or government develops in order to deal with crime, business agreements, and social relationships”.
Law is an ass, they say! Haven’t you heard this? Application of Law when it is contrary to common sense is the basis for this phrase. This proverbial expression is of English origin and is the colloquial name for a donkey. The reputation of a donkey for being obstinate and stupid is commonly known and we even have a word for it “asinine” – meaning silly, stupid etc. It is this attribute of rigidity in the application of law, that make it an ass! The Indian courts are courts of law and not courts of justice.
Laws are always couched in a complex language that are alien to the common man. The courts interpret them, and the lawyers elucidate and expose them, leaving the poor litigants at their mercy. To add to the litigant’s woes, there are the multiplicity of interpretations, the deficiencies of legal drafting leading to confusion and an excruciatingly painful and slow process of justice delivery. We need to use simple English and we have to simplify our complex and confusing laws.
Research in this direction to bring out the substance over form is urgently required to reduce the pain and agony of litigants. It is important to educate them and avoid they being dragged into unnecessary litigation due to their ignorance. Legal Research must follow a certain methodology and process to bring in the requisite rigor and discipline. Technology interventions have made this even more pervasive where the whole exercise has taken a clinical, objective approach rather than a subjective attitude more often facilitated by presenting complex thoughts, irrelevant quotes and a manipulative attitude in the hands of lawyers and judges who have the facility of words.
The VRV School of Legal Research will use a combination of appropriate technology, methodologies, process and people to achieve its Mission.
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