“Certainty, consistency, and continuity are the cornerstones of a good judicial system.” – Hon’ble Justice Surya Kant

The Voice of Chandigarh: IIM Rohtak hosted the Law Summit at Chandigarh Judicial Academy. This is an annual feature of its Integrated Program in Law (BBA_LLB) program. IIM Rohtak is the first and only IIM to have a law program since 2021. Currently, more than 300 students are already enrolled in this program and thousands are competing to get selected for the program in 2024.

The event was graced by the Hon’ble Justice Surya Kant, Judge, Supreme Court of India, as the Chief Guest. He said that “over the past decades, our GDP has experienced significant growth. At one point, it was $2,039 billion, and over the last 15 years, it has increased to $4,112 billion. Our GDP now exceeds the combined GDP of Malaysia, Singapore, and Switzerland. Remarkably, we have surpassed the GDP of the United Kingdom, a country whose colonial exploits are now a thing of the past. India is now recognized as the fastest-growing economy in the world. He emphasized on the role of judiciary in interpreting the ‘economic analysis of law’ for facilitating a conducive environment to economic growth. He emphasized that judiciary has an important role in creating a positive environment for attracting foreign direct investment in India, which is critical to fuel further economic growth.

The Hon’ble Justice Suryakant expressed his heartfelt congratulations to the organizers.

The guest of honor for the event was the Acting Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, Punjab and Haryana High Court who quoted that the “Judiciary plays a pivotal role in nation-building and fostering a positive business environment through fair, impartial, and timely justice, highlighting the judiciary’s efforts to uphold fundamental rights and adapt to new challenges.” He also highlighted the importance of alternative dispute resolution.

Hon’ble Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, President, Judicial Academy shed light on how the judiciary upholds social order and trusts the public as an interpreter. He further highlighted the judiciary’s critical role in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), nation-building, and interpreting laws. He concluded his address by stating that “the judiciary acts as a check and balance aligned to the ethos of our constitution.”

Prof Dheeraj Sharma, Director, IIM Rohtak, introduced the summit’s theme wherein, he underlined the importance of understanding the positive and negative externalities of every action, the director stated that “The Indian Youth is sitting at the Cusp of a Growing Economy”. He called attention to three noteworthy points for the positive justice system in India- fairness, stability, and progressiveness. These values are highlighted in the institute’s commitment to strong work ethics and its dedication to contributing to the field of law. His closing remark to the students was to keep in mind that “Ensure that Truth does not get lost to Interpretations.”

The first panel discussion at the IIM Rohtak law summit, addressed the topic “The Role of the Judiciary in Alternative Dispute Redressal”. It focused on ADR methods like arbitration, mediation, and conciliation over conventional litigation. They highlighted the judiciary’s evolving role in promoting ADR. The discussion underlined the importance of institutionalized ADR, the benefits for young lawyers, and the judiciary’s proactive role in raising awareness and ensuring effective implementation.

The second panel was “The business environment and role of the judiciary.” Where the discussion emphasized on pre litigation mediation, and training for judges and lawyers for resolving commercial disputes quickly. Consistent and predictable judicial decisions attract foreign investments and support economic growth. Thus, emphasizing that the current judicial structure in India is exceptionally supportive and ideal for companies and foreign investments.

The third panel was on the “Role of Judiciary in Nation Building.” The judiciary’s consistent and fair rulings create a conducive business environment. An active judiciary ensures contract enforcement and legal certainty, attracting foreign investments. The overall discussion marked the judiciary’s critical role as the protector of fundamental rights of people.

The event was concluded by the insightful statements given in the valedictorian ceremony, where the stage was graced by Hon’ble Justice Arun Palli, Punjab & Haryana High Court, Hon’ble Justice K S Grewal and Shri Amardeep Singh Rai, IPS officer.

The event was graced by the presence of honorable guests – Mr. Gauhar Mirza from Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Mr. Jeevan B. Panda from Khaitan & Company, Mr. Abhishek Swaroop from Saraf & Partners, Mr. Justice P S Dhaliwal, the former Judge of Punjab & Haryana High Court, Dr. Abhimanyu Chopra from AZB and Partners, Mr. Harminder (Harry) Chawla from Luthra and Luthra, Mr. Vineet Vij from Tech Mahindra, Ms. Shally Bhasin from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Mr. Joebin Devassy from Desai & Diwanji, Shri Chetan Mittal, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, Mr. Kapil Arora of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Shri Ajay Kumar Sharda, Director, Chandigarh Judicial Academy.

The successful completion is because of the support by legal cell and IPL program.

IIM Rohtak, a premier institute of national importance with over 1500 students enrolled in various programs, recently received the AMBA accreditation, making it to the top 2% of management institutes worldwide. With over 70% female representation over the last three years, the institute hosts students from over 30 different Indian states and UTs. As one of the most prominent names in academia presently, the institute is known for producing high-quality research output in all functional management areas, ranking amongst the top 3 to 5 IIMs in per capita research output. The institute offers eight one-of-a-kind programs to students from various academic and socio-economic backgrounds, imparting knowledge with multi-disciplinary outlooks to prepare future business leaders.