SU law professors discuss legal crisis in Pakistan

SU law professors discuss legal crisis in Pakistan November 13, 2007Jaclyn D. Grossojgrosso@law.syr.edu

Against the backdrop of the recent political crisis in Pakistan, including the imposition of emergency rule, the suspension of fundamental constitutional rights and the imposition of constraints upon the judiciary and media, SU College of Law will hold a panel discussion about the importance of an independent judiciary and the proper role of lawyers and the judiciary in preserving the rule of law.

“Taking It To The Streets: A Panel Discussion of Protest, Politics and Lawyers in Pakistan” will take place Wed., Nov. 14, from 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. in Room 200 of MacNaughton Hall. The panel includes Keith J. Bybee, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics and associate professor of law; assistant professors of Law Rakesh K. Anand and Sanjay K. Chhablani; and Salman Ravala, a third-year law student. The panel will engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the events in Pakistan, as well as what it means to be a lawyer in today’s society.

“Hundreds of lawyers and dozens of judges have been unlawfully detained today in Pakistan and hundreds more live under the threat of arbitrary arrest,” says Chhablani. “This panel discussion has been inspired by the courageous role played by members of the legal profession in resisting the assault on the rule of law.”

For more information about the event, contact the Office of Student Life at (315) 443-1146.