India must produce world class professionals and academicians to compete globally," said Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Hl Dattu while inaugurating a two-day national seminar on 'Global legal Education' organised by the Confederation of Indian Bar in association with the KIIT University here on Saturday.
Dattu first read out the speech of President Pranab Mukherjee, who was slated to inaugurate the seminar but had to cut short his two-day Odisha visit and return to New Delhi on Friday due to his wife's illness. The President's speech said, "Demographic shifts taking place in many countries around the world have brought with them issues involving immigration law and ancillary issues such as foreign property and inheritance flowing from wills and estates law. Our future lawyers must now be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skill to think and act globally."
The concept of global legal education goes beyond international legal themes, said Mukherjee and asked law schools to focus on research.
Dattu in his speech highlighted the need to have an international perspective in legal education. Exchange programmes, proper student-teacher ratio, partnerships with foreign universities and legal clinics are some of the methods which contribute to globalising legal education, he observed.
"In the times we live, society continues to grow more and more complex. Changes in the legal system reflect these changes," Dattu said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the impact of globalisation has necessitated changes in the existing laws. Globalisation has posed challenges as well as created opportunities in the legal education in India, he added.
Supreme Court Judge Justice Dipak Misra stated that such academic events are very beneficial for the lawmakers. As the world is becoming a global village, there is a need for a global legal education system, he said. The inaugural session was followed by a plenary session chaired by senior Supreme Court Judge AR Dave.
Among others, Confederation of Indian Bar president Pravin H Parekh, Advocate General of Odisha SP Mishra, KIIT University Chancellor Prof Nl Mitra and many other legal luminaries were present.