ANI
21 Feb 2025

OP Jindal University

New Delhi [India], February 21: On the momentous occasion of the World Social Justice Day, Jindal Global Law School of O.P. Jindal Global University announced the establishment of the K.K. Luthra & Nirmal Luthra Centre for Comparative Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Studies. The Centre is being established to commemorate the 100th birth centenary of K.K. Luthra, a stalwart of criminal law and Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India. This Centre will also honour the legacy of Nirmal Luthra, highlighting her contributions and achievements.

Speaking at the Seminar to mark the occasion the Union Law Minister, Arun Ram Meghwal said, 'This is an occasion to be a champion for social justice. If injustice continues, there will be no peace in society and we need to fight this. India, through its leaders like Mahatma Phule and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, had champions of social justice. Experts have pointed out how there can be political equality but it is difficult to achieve social and economic equality. This can only be achieved through philanthropy. Philanthropy is key for social and legal equality through the justice system. '

This Centre was established through a fully endowed fund ensuring the sustainability of its activities in perpetuity. The endowment fund was created by Siddharth Luthra, a distinguished lawyer and jurist, and his sisters, Geeta Luthra, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India & Dr. Meera Luthra, Senior Consultant in Paediatric Surgery as a philanthropic initiative to honour his parents' legacy. It will serve as a global hub for interdisciplinary research, dialogue, and advocacy in criminal law and criminal justice, fostering a legacy of excellence in research, education, advocacy, and reform.

The aim of the Centre is to help become a global leader in comparative criminal law and criminal justice, promoting fair, equitable, and effective legal systems worldwide and advance comparative legal scholarship, policy innovation, and practical reforms in criminal law and justice through rigorous research, education, capacity-building, and public engagement.

Sidharth Luthra said, 'The Flagship Activities and Initiatives will include: Establishment of the annual K.K. Luthra & Nirmal Luthra Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals for Academic Excellence at Jindal Global Law, Conduct an International Conference on Comparative Criminal Law, Develop actionable recommendations for Policy and Law Reform Advocacy; Enable Comparative Research Studies through the KK Luthra & Nirmal Luthra Chair in Criminal Law & Criminal Justice; assist with Capacity-Building Workshops for Legal Professionals; Establish Postgraduate and Doctoral Research Fellowships and create a K.K. Luthra Legacy Series: Publications and Digital Repository along with Public Engagement and Awareness Programs to enhance public understanding of criminal justice issues. There will also be a series of Judicial Dialogues and Roundtables; Internship and Training Programs for Students.'

The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University and Dean of Jindal Global Law School said, 'We are delighted that such a distinguished Centre of study is being established at JGU. It will promote high-quality research and knowledge creation in comparative criminal law and justice system; foster academic and practitioner dialogue on contemporary challenges in criminal law; encourage law reform initiatives for fair and effective justice delivery; create a repository of knowledge on global best practices in criminal law and justice; build a cadre of young scholars and legal professionals through training programs and facilitate policy engagement with governments, judicial bodies, and international organizations. The Centre will celebrate the legacy of K.K. Luthra and Nirmal Luthra by fostering values of integrity, fairness, and justice in criminal law practice. I would like to express my deep gratitude and profound appreciation to Mr Sidharth Luthra, Geeta Luthra, Dr. Meera Luthra and Ketaki Goswami for their generous endowment to help set up this pioneering Centre.'

The establishment of this new Centre received global reactions including from the most distinguished scholars of the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and other leading universities.

'A new Centre dedicated to research and scholarship in the field of comparative criminal law and criminal justice is great news... I congratulate both Mr. Sidharth Luthra on his wonderful vision & generosity, and I congratulate the University on its good fortune and vision in developing the Centre. There is so much to learn in this area.' said Professor (Dr.) Nicola Padfield Emeritus Professor of Criminal & Penal Justice, University of Cambridge & Former Master, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

'The newly created K.K. Luthra & Nirmal Luthra Centre on Comparative Criminal Law & Criminal Justice Studies at O.P. Jindal Global University represents a timely and important step in the evolution of criminal justice scholarship. Located at one of India's leading universities it will become a very useful hub for comparative research which will benefit many jurisdictions,' observed Professor (Dr.) Julian Roberts, Emeritus Professor of Criminology, Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford

The Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Naveen Jindal also graced the occasion with his presence.

The launch of the Centre was followed by a seminar with legal luminaries, jurists and senior judges and their reflections Indian and global justice systems.

R. Venkataramani, Attorney General for India congratulated JGU and said, 'The idea of the Constitution itself is rooted in social justice. It encompasses the whole idea of reordering a society on all key parameters. Today, we need to go beyond the dead days of ideological conflict. Social justice cannot belong to any particular ideology. In law schools especially, the idea of social justice must be embedded in the teaching of all law subjects. Students of law are social justice architects especially to ensure the rule of law for all!

Justice Sanjay Karol, Judge, Supreme Court of India said, 'It is an honour to be at an event of such significance. A study of research and comparative criminal law are crucial for advancing social justice. By comparing different legal systems, scholars can identify practice and promote equality, fairness and access to justice for marginalised and deprived communities.'

Other speakers who reflected on various themes included Justice Arjan K. Sikri, Judge, Singapore International Commercial Court, Justice Michael Wilson, Former Judge, Supreme Court of Hawaii, USA and Salman Khurshid, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India.

On behalf of JGU, Professor R Sudarshan, Dean, Jindal School of Government & Public Policy and Professor Dr. Stephen P Marks, Dean, Jindal School of Public Health & Human Development shared their views. The concluding remarks for the distinguished evening were given by Professor Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik, the Registrar of O.P. Jindal Global University.

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by OP Jindal University. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)