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Dr. Suman Dash Bhattamishra

Dr. Suman Dash Bhattamishra

Associate Professor (Law)

Extn. 5030   call
| sumandash@nluo.ac.in   drafts

About Dr. Suman Dash Bhattamishra

I joined National Law University Odisha in 2011 when it was still in its foundational years. At the university, I have taught subjects like International Criminal Law, Access to Justice, Criminal Law and Gender Laws.
My research work is primarily in the areas of Gender Rights, Access to Justice, Criminal Law Reforms, Juvenile Justice and Rights of Victims in the justice delivery mechanism. I also take interest in Legal Theory. In the area of Gender Justice, the emphasis of my work is on the interpretation of family based violence by courts in various contexts, the procedure adopted by judges in weighing evidence, their perception of victims and the impact of such perception on the rights of victims. Although much of my work is doctrinal, I also engage in qualitative and empirical research. Presently, I am working on an assessment of judicial and police behaviour towards women filing criminal complaints against their partners and families and the long-term impact of such behaviour on victims.
At National Law University Odisha, I have undertaken action research projects in collaboration with other stakeholders including civil society organisations, district, state and taluk legal services authorities, panchayats, women’s and children’s organisations, etc. From 2014-2017, I coordinated a DoJ-GoI-UNDP sponsored project titled “Access to Justice for Marginalised People and Socially Relevant Legal Education” that was implemented in three districts of Odisha and involved several community-based interventions. Establishing legal aid clinics, training community stakeholders, encouraging Clinical Legal Education in Law Colleges, especially those located in remote districts of the state of Odisha were the primary goals of this project. Apart from this, I have drafted the proposal for and been instrumental in the initial setting up of the Child Rights Centre at the university in collaboration with UNICEF. I played a similar role in establishing the Community College for Paralegals at NLUO.
Outside of academics, I take interest in painting and singing. I pursue traditional Odia folk art including Saura art and light Hindustani vocals.

Teaching Current Courses: (Jan-May 2021)

  • Gender, Law and Public Policy [Postgraduate]
  • General Principles of Criminal Law [Undergraduate]

Other Research Interests:

  • International Criminal Law
  • Access to Justice
  • Juvenile Justice

Academic Qualifications

  • Ph.D. [National Law University Delhi]
  • UGC/NET
  • LL.M. [National Law School of India University]
  • B.A.LL.B. (Hons.) [University Law College, Vanivihar]

Articles

  • “Victims beyond Doubt: A Feminist Critique of Theories of Domestic Violence” published in RGNUL Social Science Review.
  • Courts Police and Criminal Justice in Cases of Section 498-A: An Assessment, Dehradun Law Review, Vol 14 Issue 1, page 51, 2022
  •    ‘Courts and their Interpretation of Cruelty under section 498 A of the Indian Penal Code: A Critique’, (2021) Bharti Law Review, Vol X Issue 2
  • Future of Equal Pay in Sports, Comparative Constitutional and Administrative Law Journal Volume 7.1
  • “Women as Victims of Domestic Violence and their Quest for Justice in India: Gender- Centric Reflections on the Inalienable Right to Access Justice” Human Rights Law Journal Volume 1 2017
  • “Children, Crime and Proportionate Punishment in Miller versus Alabama: Time to Unlearn the Adult-Child Equation” NLUO Law Journal Volume 3 Issue 1 2016
  • “Project Report on Access to Justice for Marginalized People” NLUO Law Journal, Special Edition on Access to Justice (Vol. 2 Issue 1) 2015
  • “Criminal Behaviour, Rational Choice and Moral Reasoning: Dynamics and Dimensions, NLUO Law Journal, Vol. 1 Issue 1 2014 (Co-author)

Book Chapter:

  •  India Chapter, Public Health Crisis Management and Criminal Liability of Governments: A Comparative Study of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Hart Publishing Co. [2023]

Op-ed:

E-learning content under an MHRD-UGC Project titled E-pathshala:

  • Module titled Kidnapping and Abduction for the subjectof Substantive Criminal Law
  • Module titled Laws Relating to Dowry for the subject of Substantive Criminal Law
  • Module titled Law on Domestic Violence for Substantive Criminal Law
  • Module titled Attempt in Criminal Law for Substantive Criminal Law
  • Module titled Greek and Roman Conceptions of Natural Law in the subject of Advanced Jurisprudence
  • Module titled Pre-Renaissance Medieval Conceptions of Natural Law in the subject of Advanced Jurisprudence
  • Module titled Gender Orientation of Law in India in the subject of Advanced Jurisprudence
  • Module titled Introduction to Criminal Law: Origin and Development in the subject :Fundamentals of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice (Criminology)
  • Culpable Homicide Amounting to Murder” in Fundamentals of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice (Criminology)
  • Module titled Forms and Typologies of Punishment in the Paper of Penology and Sentencing (Criminology)
  • Module titled The Social Practice of Dowry and the Dowry Prohibition Act in the Paper on Social Legislations and Crime (Criminology)
  • Module titled Analysis of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act in the Paper on Social Legislations and Crime (Criminology)
  • Module titled A Socio-Legal Understanding of the PCPNDT Act in the Paper on Social Legislations and Crime (Criminology)
  • Module titled Victim Witness Programmes in the Paper on Victimology and Victim Justice (Criminology)
  • Module titled “Legal Framework for Dealing with Victims in India” in the Paper on Victimology and Victim Justice (Criminology)

International Conferences

  • From Condonation to Condemnation: Standardising Anti-Domestic Violence Laws in Asian Legal Systems” in the 15th Asian Law Institute Annual Conference organised by School of Law, Seoul National University on 10.05.2018 and 11.05.2018.
  • Contextualizing Comparative Feminist Jurisprudence in Asian Legal Discourse: an Insider’s Proposal” in the International Conference on the ‘State of Comparative Law in Asia’ organised by Asian Law Institute at National University of Singapore on 27.09.2017
  • Victims of Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice System: Fatality of an Incredulous Interface in the Fifth International and Ninth Biennial Conference of the Indian Society of Victimology organised by WBNUJS from 22.01.2016 to 24.01.2016.

National Conferences

  • “Women as Victims in the Criminal Justice Mechanism: Feudal, Flawed and Feminist Perspectives”- Presented at the National Conference on Exploring Critical Perspectives in Criminal Law organized by the Centre for Criminology and Victimology, NLU Delhi on June 18-19, 2018
  • “Motive, Intention and the Psychology of Offenders in Crimes of Exceptional Depravity- An Assessment of the Deterrence Model in India: Its Flaws and Potential Hazards” in the 39th All India Criminology Conference organised by National Law University Odisha from 22.09.2016 to 24.09.2016.
  • Marriage, Family and Transgender Rights: Locating New Directions” in the National Seminar on Rights of Transgender: Issues and Challenges organised by University Law College, Utkal University on 18.03.2018.
  • “Accessing Justice through Public Interest Litigation: Modernizing Indian Constitutionalism’ in the National Seminar on Challenges to India’s Constitution’ organised by Post Graduate Department of Law, Sambalpur University on 18.02.2018.
  • “Anti-Trafficking Laws in India: An Assessment of Their Shortcomings” in the National Seminar on Trafficking in Women and Children in India organised aw College, Utkal University on 20.01.2018.
  • “Tribal Rights in the Context of Biodiversity Conservation- The Need of an Inclusive Process” in the National Seminar on Tribal Rights and Rights of Indigenous People organised by Madhusudan Law College, Utkal University on 29.03.2017.
  • “Beyond Barriers of State Sovereignty- Role of Media in Tackling International Crimes” in the National Seminar on Role of Media in Protection of Human Rights organised by University Law College, Utkal University on 18.03.2017.
  • “Chief Justice of India and the Right to Information” at the National Seminar on Right to Information Act- Implementation and Challenges organised by MS Law College, Cuttack on 28th February 2016.
  • “Breach in Surrogacy Contract: Legal Response” at National Seminar on Surrogacy in India: Problem and Law organized by University Law College, Utkal University held on 28-29 March 2011.

Projects

  • Co-Project Leader, Addressing Domestic Violence in Odisha through Institutionalized Domestic Violence Response Protocols sponsored by the Human Rights Fund, Netherlands Embassy [2023-25]
  • Was the Principal Coordinator of a DoJ-GoI-UNDP funded ‘Project on Access to Justice for Marginalised People and Socially Relevant Legal Education’ [2014-2017] The project was implemented in three districts of Odisha with the support of the Orissa High Court and the State Legal Services Authority. Setting up of community based legal aid clinics, building the capacity of community stakeholders, exposing Law students to ground realities, enabling establishment of zero-cost student-run, university-based Legal Aid Clinics in remote areas of Odisha and developing the road map for Clinical Legal Education were some of the primary objectives of the project.
  • Drafted and developed the proposal for the Research Project on Rights of the Child in collaboration with UNICEF at NLUO [2014]
  • Drafted, developed and secured a UGC funded project for Community College for Paralegals at the university [2014]
  • Coordinated a TISS-NUSSD Project for developing Legal Literacy Materials for Undergraduate Students in disciplines other than Law. The project focused on development of simple legal literacy material for students. [2017]

Others

I have organised training programmes, workshops, panel discussions and delivered guest lectures at various academic institutions in the state of Odisha. I have also led Organization Teams for coordinating National and International Conferences at NLUO. Few of my prominent outreach activities are as follows:

  • Coordinated one National and one International Conference on ‘Access to Justice for Marginalised People and Socially Relevant Legal Education’ in 2013 and 2017 respectively
  • Organised Capacity Building Programmes for Paralegals in collaboration with the South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies, the Centre for Social Justice,Ahmedabad and BRAC University, Bangladesh
  • In collaboration with National Law School of India University, Bangalore, conducted the Mainstreaming Human Rights Lawyering Programme in November, 2016 and the Credit Course on Law and Society in February, 2020. Both the events were funded by Ford Foundation.
  • Frequently conducted lectures on issues of Gender and the Criminal Justice Mechanism at Odisha Judicial Academy for judicial officers and Gopabandhu Academy for administrative officers
  • Conducted training sessions, delivered talks and participated in panel discussions on issues pertaining to Sexual Harassment, Juvenile Justice and Family-based violence at Social Science and Technology institutions such as NIT, Rourkela, NISER, and the Centurion University

At NLUO, I was also responsible for setting up the Legal Aid Society and continued to be its Faculty Adviser from 2012-2019. Most recently, I have served as the Controller of Examinations I/C at the university.