Justice J. S. Verma Advocacy Training and Mock Trial
21-26 November 2019 at National Law University Delhi
This programme is a unique International collaboration, which seeks to build further on the work of the Justice Verma Committee. It is a novel initiative of an advocacy training programme including a mock trial, organised by the Centre for Criminology and Victimology at National Law University Delhi, in collaboration with the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales, and iProbono.
The programme will address the absence of advocacy training during legal education in India, and in particular how to deal fairly with vulnerable witnesses in cases of sexual and gender based violence. A course module for training consisting of a curriculum has been especially curated to introduce the students to various aspects of advocacy.
The programme consists of a series of interactive lectures by eminent professionals, academics, practising advocates, and human rights activists such as Professor Mrinal Satish, Ms. Indira Jaising, Ms. Catherine O’Neill (UK), Ms. Kirsty Brimelow QC (UK), Mr. Prashant Bhushan, Ms. Jodie Blackstock (UK), Ms. Kamini Jaiswal, and Ms. Sadhana Ramachandran, amongst others. The nature of the programme, taught in small groups, is focused on practical training, which includes field visits and a mock trial to test the skills learnt by the participants during the programme. The course will use discussion, demonstration and role-play as its primary pedagogical methods. The course is being supplemented by evening seminars in partnership with local lawyers that seek to place the legal system’s treatment of vulnerable witnesses in a wider social, cultural and economic context, promote a change in legal culture, and discuss systemic reform.
The programme shall focus on the following aspects:
A refresher course on domestic laws;
Introduction of the participants to the concept of trauma and vulnerability;
Sensitizing the participants to issues faced by vulnerable witnesses;
Recounting of experiences relating to vulnerable witnesses by experienced lawyers;
Building an understanding of the dynamics and interplay between law, power and quality with respect to vulnerable witnesses;
Listing the ethical duties of advocates in handling vulnerable witnesses;
Building the skill-set of the participants to handle vulnerable witnesses during examination in chief and cross examinations;
Familiarizing the participants to vulnerable witness complexes.
28 students have been selected out of the applicants, who will be trained over the span of this week’s training focussing on trial advocacy, witness handling and the practical implementation of legislations. This training programme is one-of-a-kind in its nature to expose the students to vulnerable victims/witnesses, confidential and sensitive matters at the court, and enhance their legal advocacy skills practically via a mock trial. The programme broadly seeks to sensitise law students and build their capacity to deal with various concepts of vulnerability.