“Panel Discussion on Access to Justice for Victims of Domestic Violence and Gender Diversity in the Indian Judiciary.”
PANEL DISCUSSION
On
ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND GENDER DIVERSITY IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION
20.07.2024
VENUE: CONFERENCE ROOM, 1st FLOOR, ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK, NLUO
National Law University Odisha (NLUO) is honoured to host a distinguished panel discussion on the themes of (a) Access to Justice for Victims of Domestic Violence and (b) Gender Diversity in the Legal Profession. The event will be jointly organised by the Centre for Law and Public Policy (under the project titled “Addressing Domestic Violence in Odisha through Institutionalized Domestic Violence Response Protocols funded by the Human Rights Fund, Kingdom of Netherlands”) and the Centre for Women and Law.
In the first session, the event will shed light on the critical issue of domestic violence and explore ways to enhance access to justice for victims through effective legal frameworks and policies. The discussion will be led by Hon’ble Justice Gita Mittal, Judge Rupa Searight Goswami and Dr Suman Dash Bhattamishra. Prof. Paromita Chattoraj will be moderating the session.
In the second session, the panel discussion will focus on the issue of gender diversity in the Indian Judiciary and the discussion will be led by Hon’ble Justice Savitri Ratho, Judge, Orissa High Court, Hon’ble Justice Gita Mittal and Judge Rupa Searight Goswami. Prof. Rangin Pallav Tripathy will be moderating the session.
About the Panellists:
Hon'ble Justice Savitri Ratho
Justice Savitri Ratho is a sitting judge at the Orissa High Court. Justice Ratho has made significant contributions to the legal landscape, particularly concerning the rights of the vulnerable section of society including women and children and upholding social justice.
Judge Rupa Searight Goswami
Judge Rupa Searight Goswami is the first South Asian woman to serve on the bench in California, appointed as a judge in 2013. She is currently a judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California. Judge Goswami brings a wealth of experience in the judiciary and a unique perspective on the challenges faced by victims of domestic violence in diverse legal contexts.
Justice Gita Mittal
Justice Gita Mittal (Retd.) is a former Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and the former Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi, India. With her vast experience and deep commitment to justice, Justice Mittal has been a pioneering figure in advocating for the rights of women and marginalised communities.
Dr. Suman Dash Bhattamishra
Dr. Suman Dash Bhattamishra is Associate Professor of Law at National Law University Odisha and the Dean, Research and Internationalization Committee. She is also the co-director of the project “Addressing Domestic Violence in Odisha through Institutionalised Domestic Violence Response Protocols”. Prior to this, she has successfully implemented a DoJ-GoI-UNDP sponsored project on Access to Justice for Marginalised People and Socially Relevant Legal Education in three districts of Odisha. Her academic expertise and research focusing on clinical legal education, gender justice and legal responses to domestic violence make her an invaluable voice in this discussion.
Moderators:
Prof. (Dr.) Rangin Pallav Tripathy
Prof. (Dr.) Rangin Pallav Tripathy is a Professor of Law and the Registrar at National Law University Odisha. He works in the area of constitutional governance, civil liberties, criminal law and gender rights. His current research focuses on the functioning of institutions within constitutional democracies and the way they affect realization of democratic rights. His doctoral thesis was the first of its kind in India focusing on the performance evaluation of judges in Indian higher judiciary. He completed his Fulbright Post-Doctoral Research Scholarship from Harvard Law School where researched on the competing methods of appointing judges in democracies.
Prof. (Dr.) Paromita Chattoraj
Prof. Paromita Chattoraj is a Professor of Law at National Law University Odisha. She graduated with LL. B (Hons) from the Department of law, University of Calcutta and completed her LL.M, having specialization in Criminal Law, with a Gold Medal in 2004. Before joining NLUO, she worked at KIIT Law School for 13 years. Before coming to academics, she was a practising lawyer at Calcutta High Court in the criminal side and also worked as a Trade Mark Attorney in a reputed IP Company in Singapore briefly. She completed two research projects, firstly, ISRD-3 from 2012-2015 funded by Swiss National Science Foundation and second, ICSSR Major Research Program 2018-20 on Investigation and Trial of Rape cases in the States of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.
