Join Vidhi for the launch of its annual flagship publication, the Vidhi Briefing Book: ‘From Rule by Law to Rule of Law: 25 reforms to Decolonise the Indian Legal System,’ followed by the 6th Vidhi Annual Lecture by Dr. Bibek Debroy on Dec 2, from 6PM at the Multipurpose Hall, India International Centre. 

ABOUT THE LECTURE: 

75 years after independence, the Indian legal system continues to bear the weight of colonial vestiges. To decolonise the system, three levels of changes need to be contemplated. Laws and practices that are essentially colonial need to be reformed, institutions that had been designed to further the colonial agenda need to be re-oriented, and colonial ideology that pervades our thinking needs to be changed. 

For instance, caste based division of labour among prisoners continues to exist in the Indian prison system, Indian courts are symbols of colonial hierarchies, including the use of archaic language, and certain indigenous communities are still denied full rights as citizens of the country. While changing these, we need to also ask ourselves the fundamental question: what does it mean to be colonial? For more information on the event click here.