Freedom of speech in law schools

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

On August 13, the Bar Council of India issued a direction to all State Bar Councils not to enrol students who graduated from NALSAR University in 2026. However, it withdrew its order the same day. | Photo: NALSAR University

A large section of students from the outgoing 2026 batch of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, staged protests against the proposal of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant being the chief guest at their convocation. This was in solidarity with students who protested against the NEET paper leak at Jantar Mantar on the call of Cockroach Janta Party. The online pressure group got its name and took shape after the CJI reportedly called the youngsters of the country ‘cockroaches’ while dealing with a case on fake law degree holders. The NALSAR students were also upset by the CJI’s refusal to look into the police excesses on peaceful protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 20.

On August 13, the Bar Council of India issued a direction to all State Bar Councils not to enrol students who graduated from NALSAR University in 2026. However, it withdrew its order the same day. Chief Justice Kant, the next day, criticised the BCI’s directive and said the students were having a ‘dialogue with him’. The Supreme Court also barred the university from taking punitive action against the students.

The fiasco has brought a spotlight on the existing space for dissent in leading law universities in India and the consequences of questioning the judicial authorities. To understand the matter in depth, The Hindu will host a webinar titled ‘Freedom of speech in law schools’ on August 24 at 5 p.m. Register now to ask questions and interact with the panellists. The three best questions will receive a free online subscription of The Hindu.

Daksh Saroha is an Assistant Professor of Law at SRM School of Law, Chennai. He holds an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Laws from IIT Kharagpur and was a founding faculty member at BITS Law School, Mumbai. His research interests span intellectual property law, law schools and legal education, with a particular focus on the quality regulation and standards of legal education in India.

Batul Shafiq is a fourth-year B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) student at BITS Law School, Mumbai, specialising in Public Law. She currently serves as the Research and Publication Head at the Society for Social Inclusion and Justice. She has interned at the Majlis Manch where she worked on criminal law and victim advocacy, and at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court.

Jhuma Sen is an advocate practising before the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India. She teaches and writes on constitutional law, gender justice and criminal justice. She holds an LL.M. from UC Berkeley, where she was an AAUW International Fellow. She is also an Adjunct Faculty at NUJS, Kolkata.

Rishi is a lawyer and public policy researcher from Tamil Nadu. He graduated from Tamil Nadu National Law University, Trichy in 2026, where he served as a Teaching Assistant to Dr. Peerzada Shah Faisal.