Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University
The Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University is the law school of the Aligarh Muslim University which has a history of over 100 years of teaching and writing law.
In 2014, the faculty was listed on number 6 in India's best law colleges list compiled by India Today [1] which it retained in 2015[2] and 2016 as well.[3]
History
The teaching of law was introduced in the year 1891. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was greatly impressed by the programme of legal education in British Universities and was keen to incorporate law as a culminating discipline conducive to the moral, intellectual and material welfare of the students, passing out from the MAO College. A beginning was made with the three local pleaders providing part-time instruction on an honorary basis. Meanwhile, the search for a Law Professor was seriously undertaken by constituting a search committee consisting of Mr. Justice Douglas Straight and Mr. Justice Mahmood of the Allahabad High Court and Sir Arthur Strachey who was a practicing lawyer. The committee recommended Mir Karamat Husain for appointment as the first Law Professor of the MAO College. He joined on 12 July 1891. Justice Syed Mahmood presented his most valuable personal collection of law books to the Department of Law.
After Mir Karamat Husain, Sahebzadah Aftab Ahmad Khan was In-charge of the Department of Law up-to 1906. He was followed by Mr. Abdul Karim Khan, Mr. Syed Ali Naqi, Mr. M. Abdul Khaliq, Mr. M.A. Ishaq Khusro and Professor Hafizul Rahman. In 1960, the Department of Law which till then existed as a Department of the Faculty of Arts was developed into a full-fledged Faculty. Credit goes to late Prof. Hafizul Rahman that he developed a modern curriculum and initiated research. It is one of the oldest and premier faculties of India. Popularly it is known as the mother faculty because many reputed law faculties/institutions in India are flourished by its former students. It has produced innumerable legal icons serving the nation.
Academics
Scholar-in-Residence
The Aligarh Muslim University has appointed N. R. Madhava Menon, father of modern Indian legal education as Scholar-in-Residence in the Department of Law. Prof. Menon was the first PhD produced by the Department of Law at AMU.
Known as one of the long-serving, popular legal educators of the country, an institution-builder, the architect of the five-year integrated LL.B. programme and the Founder Vice-Chancellor of two of the leading law universities of India (National Law School of India University, Bangalore and National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, Prof. (Dr.) N.R. Madhava Menon has endeavoured for nearly five decades to put Indian legal education at par with those of the developed countries.
Menon has also been:
- A Teacher at Aligarh Muslim University, Faculty of Law.
- Member of the Law Commission of India,
- Member of several expert committees including Legal Aid Committee(1973), The Civil Services Examination Reform Committee (2000-2001) and Criminal Justice Reform (2002-2003), appointed by the Government of India.
Memorandum of Understanding
One of the greatest achievements of the Faculty of law is the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AMU and George Washington University, USA, one of the world's leading higher educational Institutions in law, on 17 February 2010. This remarkable venture facilitates the faculty members and Ph.D or SJD candidates from each other institutions to participate for a semester or two as visiting scholars for the purpose of conducting research.
Publications
The department publishes Aligarh Law Journal.[4]
Programs Offered
The Faculty of Law is currently offering the following courses:
- Five years integrated Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Laws(B.A.,LL.B.),
- Two Year Master of Laws (LL.M.),
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and
- Diploma courses
Facilities
Law faculty building
Faculty of law was earlier situated at Sir Syed Hall which was later on shifted to the present commerce faculty. At present the faculty is situated at Qila road building of the university.
Seminar library
Seminar law library is the oldest seminar library of the faculty. It has around journals and books dating back to 19th century. It has approximately 35000 books including text books, reference books and research books apart from 35 National Journals and 15 International Journals.
Legal aid clinic and mediation centre
Faculty maintains this centre to provide legal guidance and advisement to indigent and poverty ridden litigants by associating students under the supervision and guidance of committed law teachers together with local judiciary.
Law Society
The Law Society is a group of students actively involved in the affairs of the Faculty. It was founded in 1894 as a non-profit student organization. It has long traditional character which always uplifts the students' participation and performance in relation to legal affairs in different arena.
The Dean, Faculty of Law is the President of the Society. The main task of the Law Society is to assist students within the Department of Law with all aspects of their study.
Networking with legal professional forms an important part of work in building a presence for Aligarh Muslim University Law graduates with the legal profession.
The society organizes events, both academic and social, from annual fest to freshers social and farewell party for final year students.
Mohammad Shafi Qureshi former Governor of Uttar Pradesh was the secretary of the society in the year 1953.[5] Arif Jwadder was the secretary for the session 2013-14.[6] Anam Rais Khan was the secretary for the session 2014-15.[7]
It published a review called Aligarh Law Society Review a wholly student reviewed journal.[8] Though it is not published now.
The Society for the first time organised annual festival named 1st Gavels Buzz in the year 2014.[9][10][11][12]
Justice Markandey Katju visited the Law Society recently.[13]
Dr. Ambedkar Chair of Legal Studies & Research
The sub-committee on education set up for centenary celebrations Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, in one of its recommendations in the year 1992, suggested for setting up Dr. Ambedkar Chair in different disciplines of different institutions/ universities. In pursuance of the recommendation and followed by the decision, Dr. Ambedkar Chair were set up for undertaking study and research programmes on various aspects of the philosophy, thoughts, ideologies, missions and ideals of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, New Delhi.[14]
Ambedkar chair was created by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India, New Delhi in 1992. Professor Mohammad Shabbir is the founding director of the Chair.[15]
The Chair to its credit, publishes its well reputed legal journal entitled "Quest for Justice" regularly since 2005-06.
It also organizes National Essay Competition every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. BR Ambedkar on behalf of government of India.[16]
Rankings
University rankings | |
---|---|
Law – India | |
India Today[17] | 2 |
The Week[18] | 14 |
Careers360[19] | 21 |
The Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University was ranked second by India Today's "India's Best Colleges 2017",[17] 14th by The Week's "Top Law Colleges In 2016"[18] and 21st by Careers360's "Top Law Colleges in India 2017", 19th among government schools.[19]
Notable alumni
The following notable individuals have read law at the Faculty of Law, Aligarh.
Actors and entertainers
- Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Urdu/Hindi movie scriptwriter and director, journalist
Jurists
- Justice Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali, Supreme Court of India; chief justice, J & K. High Court [20]
- Justice Baharul Islam, Supreme Court of India (1980-1983), Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court[21]
- Justice Ram Prakash Sethi, Supreme Court of India [22]
- Abdul Hakeem Khan, Chief Justice of Pakistan[23]
Academics
- N. R. Madhava Menon
- Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad; Founder Vice-Chancellor, National Law University, Orissa[24]
- Tahir Mahmood
Administrator
References
- ↑ "Rank 6 - Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University". 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ↑ "Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University Best Law Colleges 2015 India Today Survey". intoday.in.
- ↑ "Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University Best Law Colleges 2016 India Today Survey". indiatoday.intoday.in. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
- ↑ http://www.isil-aca.org/journals.htm
- ↑ http://upgovernor.gov.in/upgovernor.gov.in/qureshibio1.htm
- ↑ http://www.amu.ac.in/about3.jsp?did=9124
- ↑ http://www.amu.ac.in/about3.jsp?did=7823
- ↑ http://search.library.utoronto.ca/details?5271418&uuid=ea470ca0-6c8f-4754-8057-ffdd386a7ce6
- ↑ http://htsyndication.com/htsportal/article/The-Law-Society,-Faculty-of-Law,-AMU-organised-three-day-Law-Fest,--Gavel-s-Buzz-/4480865
- ↑ http://www.amu.ac.in/about3.jsp?did=8707
- ↑ http://www.batori.in/education/2014/05/09/law-society-organizes-first-fest-gavels-buzz/
- ↑ http://www.indiaeducationdiary.in/Uttar_Pradesh/shownews.asp?newsid=29306
- ↑ http://twocircles.net/2014dec16/1418751542.html#.VfqNbBGqqko
- ↑ http://ambedkarfoundation.nic.in/html/chair.htm
- ↑ http://www.amu.ac.in/dshowfacultydata.jsp?did=37&eid=3705
- ↑ http://www.ambedkarfoundation.nic.in/html/advtec2015.pdf
- 1 2 "India's Best Colleges 2017: Law". India Today. 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- 1 2 "Best Colleges: Worldly Wisdom". The Week. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
- 1 2 "Top Law Colleges in India 2017". Careers360. 2017.
- ↑ http://law.amu.ac.in/introducingfaculty.html
- ↑ "Supreme Court of India - Former Judges". supremecourtofindia.nic.in.
- ↑ "R". supremecourtcaselaw.com.
- ↑ http://www.amu.ac.in/pdf/Alumni.pdf
- ↑ "Prof Faizan Mustafa is new VC of Nalsar". India Education Review.