I have been an activist for civil and political rights since the mid 1970s. After
graduating from law school in 1982 I joined the bar in Delhi, India and have been
practicing law since then. I started off as an independent lawyer, not affiliated to any
firm and continue to be so even today. 

Along with a bread and butter practice I have always worked on issues of concern to me.
Over the last 20 years my focus has been on issues of accountability and State impunity.
In 1995 I filed a petition in the Indian Supreme Court seeking a comprehensive enquiry
into allegations of enforced disappearances in the north-western Indian State of Punjab
during the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, when the state was wracked by an armed
insurrection. This case was decided in October 2006. The final order fell woefully short
of expectations but it did result in the grant of minimal compensation to the families of
over 1200 persons who had been disappeared (and then killed) by the Punjab police and
other security forces. This is a first in independent Indian history. 

Between 2002 and 2005 I conducted a study of the effectiveness of the writ of habeas
corpus in the northern most Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, which has also been in the
throes of a violent insurrection since 1990. My report of the findings of the study are
on this site. 

Currently I balance my time between practice and research. Among my recent works is a
monograph on law and social justice, in which I have analysed the Indian Supreme
Court's stand on the issue of affirmative action for the Dalits. Another paper
explores the ambivalence of law in the context of individual and social autonomy. This
paper, titled 'Law's Autonomy: A Paradigm of State Power' can be
downloaded from this site.

Accountability

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

Armed Forces Special Powers Act

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

Colonial Studies

PDF

Colonised Epistemologies, Unpublished Papers (2008)
A polemical piece
 

Enforced Disappearances

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

A Report on The Working of the writ of Habeas Corpus in Kashmir: 1990 - 2005 (Chapter-I, Introduction) (2007)

This report is the first part of a two part study on the functioning of...

 

Habeas Corpus

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

A Report on The Working of the writ of Habeas Corpus in Kashmir: 1990 - 2005 (Chapter-I, Introduction) (2007)

This report is the first part of a two part study on the functioning of...

 

Human Rights

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

Humanities

PDF

Colonised Epistemologies, Unpublished Papers (2008)
A polemical piece
 

PDF

Sustainable Futures, Unpublished Papers (2008)
A brief note on the sustainability of the current world view
 

Impunity

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

India

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

Judicial Accountability

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

A Report on The Working of the writ of Habeas Corpus in Kashmir: 1990 - 2005 (Chapter-I, Introduction) (2007)

This report is the first part of a two part study on the functioning of...

 

Justice

PDF

Sustainable Futures, Unpublished Papers (2008)
A brief note on the sustainability of the current world view
 

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

Kashmir

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

A Report on The Working of the writ of Habeas Corpus in Kashmir: 1990 - 2005 (Chapter-I, Introduction) (2007)

This report is the first part of a two part study on the functioning of...

 

Philosophy

PDF

Colonised Epistemologies, Unpublished Papers (2008)
A polemical piece
 

PDF

Sustainable Futures, Unpublished Papers (2008)
A brief note on the sustainability of the current world view
 

PDF

Entropy, Random-1 (2007)
A brief take on order and disorder in modern times.
 

Right to Life

PDF

Sustainable Futures, Unpublished Papers (2008)
A brief note on the sustainability of the current world view
 

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

Rule of Law

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

Security Forces

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

State Criminality

PDF

Law's Autonomy, Autonomy, Beyond Kant And Hermenutics (2007)
Like entropy, autonomy exists. As such, the existence of autonomy does not need any law...
 

PDF

The Case of Abdul Gani Najar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Ghulam Qadir Pandith (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Khizir Mohammad Bhat (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...

 

PDF

The Case of Nazir Gojar (2007)

The case discussed here is part of the Kashmir report. I have pasted it here...