Legal experts and academicians deliberate on language, access to justice and alternative dispute resolution
Lucknow: Highlighting the growing importance of language in the resolution of international legal disputes, Amity Law School, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, in association with the Department of Student Welfare, organised a two-day International Seminar on “The Role of Hindi in International Arbitration: Opportunities and Challenges”. The seminar brought together legal experts, academicians, researchers and students from various institutions to deliberate on the role of language in international arbitration, alternative dispute resolution and access to justice.
The inaugural session was graced by Prof. (Dr.) Amar Pal Singh, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow, as the Chief Guest. Prof. (Dr.) Anil Vashisht, Pro Vice Chancellor, Amity University Uttar Pradesh; Mr. Mahendra Pratap Awasthi, Registrar-cum-Principal Bench Secretary, High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench; Dr. Rajeev Verma, Dean, Student Welfare; and Prof. (Dr.) Tapan Kumar Chandola, Director, Amity Law School, among other dignitaries, were also present.
The valedictory session was attended by Hon’ble Justice Ranganath Pandey (Retd.), Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench, as the Chief Guest, while S.S. Upadhyay, former Judge and Legal Advisor to the Governor, joined as the Guest of Honour.
Welcoming the guests, Prof. (Dr.) Tapan Kumar Chandola said that Hindi is a language connected with nearly 1.4 billion people in India. He observed that the seminar would provide an important platform to understand the challenges involved in efforts to establish Hindi on the international stage and to deliberate on possible ways forward.
Prof. (Dr.) Anil Vashisht, Pro Vice Chancellor, said that the present era is driven by communication and language forms its fundamental basis. He noted that India’s influence at the international level has grown significantly, resulting in increasing engagement in international legal matters where the role of arbitration and mediation becomes increasingly important. He said the seminar provided students with an opportunity to learn, gain new perspectives and expand their knowledge, and encouraged them to make full use of the opportunity.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. (Dr.) Amar Pal Singh highlighted the importance of language in the legal system and emphasised the need for continued dialogue to make legal processes more accessible, inclusive and comprehensive. He also spoke about the relationship between language and the justice system and the importance of linguistic accessibility in legal processes. Other speakers shared their perspectives on the relationship between language, law and dispute resolution, as well as the growing relevance of Indian languages in the legal domain.
Addressing the valedictory session, Justice Ranganath Pandey said that one should always move forward with a positive outlook. He observed that a task may be difficult, but it need not be impossible, and difficult objectives require greater effort and determination. He expressed confidence that sustained efforts could contribute to establishing Hindi on the international platform. He also pointed out that several judges had started writing judgments in Hindi decades ago and emphasised the need for greater participation in promoting the use of Hindi in legal matters.
Guest of Honour S.S. Upadhyay said that good initiatives should always begin at home and emphasised that people should first adopt Hindi more actively in their own day-to-day communication and practice.
The seminar featured detailed discussions on the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of Hindi in the arbitration of international legal matters and greater linguistic inclusion in dispute-resolution processes. Experts deliberated on legal translation, legal terminology, language barriers and access to justice.
The technical sessions featured research paper presentations on arbitration, mediation, conciliation, alternative dispute resolution, legal language and the role of Indian languages in the legal system. Faculty members, researchers and students from Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, University of Lucknow, University of Allahabad, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University and Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, among other institutions, participated in the academic sessions.
The two-day international seminar provided a platform for legal experts, practitioners, academicians, researchers and students to exchange perspectives and research on the role of language in international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. The discussions also explored possibilities for further academic research and dialogue on the use of Hindi and other Indian languages to make legal processes more accessible and inclusive.
