Continuing legal education for judges in India: Some reflection and the way forward

Abstract

Continuing Legal Education (Cont. LE). Minimum Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development is the professional education for lawyers/attorneys that takes place after their admission to the profession. This chapter tries to analyze the case of continuing legal education for the judges by delving into the complexities of the judicial life. A judge not only needs to be abreast of the laws and regulation in force at the relevant time, but also the jurisprudence and the historical context of the laws, regulations and principles so as to uproot any ambiguity in case of its application. Moreover, the knowledge of sociology, psychology, penology, economics, history and obviously technology with the changing times make the job of the judges a lot more complex than it appears. The chapter expounds the various reasons and thereby attempts to make a case for continuing judicial education or continuing legal education for judges in India. It tries to analyze the aspects based on which continuing legal education may be instrumental in making them 'better judges'. It also expounds and analyses the existing framework for continuing judicial education in India.