DBRANLU Sonepat Launches National Commemorative Series Marking 50 Years of Justice H.R. Khanna’s Historic Dissent

The Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University (DBRANLU), Sonepat has announced a national commemorative academic series titled “50 Years of the Constitutional Dissent: Revisiting Justice H.R. Khanna’s Legacy.” The initiative marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most defining moments in Indian constitutional history—the dissent delivered by Justice H.R. Khanna in the landmark ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla during the Emergency period (1975–77).

The commemorative series seeks to revisit the jurisprudential importance of dissent, especially in safeguarding constitutional values such as liberty, rule of law, and judicial independence. Justice Khanna’s dissent famously asserted that the right to life and personal liberty is inherent and cannot be suspended even in the absence of constitutional remedies, standing in contrast to the majority opinion of the Supreme Court at the time.

Conceived as a year-long academic programme, the series will bring together judges, legal scholars, practitioners, and students through keynote lectures, panel discussions, workshops, and research presentations. It aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and deepen engagement with constitutional principles in contemporary contexts.

The thematic focus of the series includes critical issues such as the right to dissent, emergency powers and constitutional limits, preventive detention, and the evolving challenges of privacy and surveillance in the digital age. It also encourages scholarly exploration of constitutional theory, judicial independence, and the role of dissent in shaping democratic governance.

According to the organisers, the initiative is not merely commemorative but seeks to provide a normative framework to reassess constitutional resilience and the enduring relevance of dissent in modern India. The programme will culminate in a valedictory conference and publication of selected scholarly works emerging from the series.

The advisory board for the series includes eminent jurists such as Justice M.M. Kumar, Justice Rajesh Bindal, and Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, along with senior academicians associated with leading law institutions.

Through this initiative, DBRANLU aims to reaffirm the constitutional significance of principled dissent and its role in preserving democratic accountability, particularly in times of institutional strain.