JAMMU: The Law School, University of Jammu, organized an insightful lecture on "Ethical Jurisprudence and the Moral Imperatives of Legal Practice" for students, with a special focus on fourth and sixth-semester students. The session aimed to ingrain principled legal reasoning, deontological ethics, and virtuous professional conduct among future advocates.
Ms. Bala Jyoti, a retired District & Sessions Judge and distinguished jurist, delivered the keynote address, elucidating the normative frameworks governing legal ethics under the Advocates Act, 1961 and beyond. Drawing from Kantian duty-based ethics and fiduciary obligations, she underscored the cardinal virtues of probity, rectitude, and moral fortitude in legal practice.
Ms. Bala expounded on the deontological responsibilities of lawyers, emphasizing adherence to truth, unwavering professional integrity, and respect for seniority as non-negotiable tenets. She highlighted the fiduciary sanctity of the advocate-client relationship, warning that any dereliction of ethical duty would erode public trust in the legal system.
Reflecting on contemporary shifts, she addressed the transformative role of gender equity in the judiciary and the ethical implications of technological integration in legal research and court procedures. The discourse also touched upon utilitarian considerations in legal ethics, balancing client interests with societal justice.
The interactive segment saw students engaging in a dialectical exploration of real-world ethical quandaries, reinforcing Socratic principles of moral inquiry. Earlier Prof. Seema Rohmetra, Director of The Law School, in her inaugural remarks, reaffirmed the institution’s dedication to cultivating ethically conscious jurists through axiological pedagogy—merging theoretical knowledge with moral praxis.
The event was coordinated by Dr. Palvi Mathavan Puri and Dr. Rajneesh Khajuria, with a formal vote of thanks extended by Dr. Nitan Sharma, who recognised the didactic value of such engagements in shaping ethically resilient legal professionals.