Team Herald
MAPUSA: Two eminent former High Court judges are scheduled to give lectures at the 2024 PIL Law Course conducted by the Goa Foundation in association with the Comunidade of Mapusa.
Justice Ferdinho Rebello, former Judge of the Bombay High Court and later Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, will inaugurate the course with his lecture on October 19. Justice Gautam Patel, who has also recently retired from the bench, will deliver his lecture on November 15.
In addition to the former justices, several lawyers will also give lectures on various aspects of law and courts for the benefit of ordinary citizens who are keen to upgrade their knowledge of the law and courts.
The course will commence on October 19 and terminate on December 13 this year. It will be held twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, at 6 pm at the Mapusa Comunidade hall, opposite Milagres (St Jerome’s) Church, Mapusa. Though registration for the course is open to all, citizens from Bardez Taluka will be given first preference.
The Goa Foundation’s popular course on Public Interest Law enables ordinary citizens to develop a better understanding of the various laws in force that affect and govern their lives. Most people are terrified of the law, courts, and lawyers. The course will lead to a better understanding of how civil, criminal, and high courts function, the set-up of various levels of courts, and methods of functioning.
Besides a basic introduction to the law, the course will also enable individuals to deal more effectively with the government and its departments. It will explain how one can file a PIL and what to do when one is arrested. The course has a strong environmental focus and is practice-oriented. The sessions are informal, and every effort is made to ensure that participants can understand the talks and ask questions. Each session is of one and a half hours' duration, so each topic can be adequately covered.
No qualifications are required for registration, but speakers will present in English. At each lecture, participants will be provided with reading materials.