Criminal Law and the Constitution of the Postcolony: India (A Book Panel) episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 5, 2025 · 1H 43M

Criminal Law and the Constitution of the Postcolony: India (A Book Panel)

from The Modern Criminal Law Review Podcast · host Modern Criminal Law Review

Imagine adopting a constitution notionally designed to install “The People” as the true repository of sovereign power and to throw off the colonial yoke, yet retaining a criminal justice system designed to maximize the police power of the colonial sovereign. That’s what happened when India adopted its Constitution in 1950 while leaving its 19th century colonial criminal codes in place. This MCLR+ event assembles a panel of scholars and lawyers to explore fundamental issues of popular sovereignty and the intersection of constitutional and criminal law that lie at the heart of Sandipto Dasgupta’s Legalizing the Revolution: India and the Constitution of the Postcolony (Cambridge UP 2024) (https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/... ). This book panel forms part of the MCLR+ series of events, publications, and resources focussed on Indian criminal law. [For further information, please consult MCLR+ Resources: India. (https://crimlrev.net/mclr-resources/)]   ► To stay informed about upcoming MCLR+ events, publications, and projects, please sign up for the MCLR+ mailing list and check the MCLR+ website; to receive notifications about upcoming livestreams, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Abhinav Sekhri (moderator) is a legal writer and lawyer practicing in New Delhi, India. He specializes in criminal law, evidence, and procedure. Gautam Bhatia Lawyer, Scholar & Author, Delhi, India Anuj Bhuwania, SNU Chennai Arudra Burra, IIT Delhi Aparna Chandra, NLSIU Sandipto Dasgupta, New School, NYC (author)

Imagine adopting a constitution notionally designed to install “The People” as the true repository of sovereign power and to throw off the colonial yoke, yet retaining a criminal justice system designed to maximize the police power of the colonial sovereign. That’s what happened when India adopted its Constitution in 1950 while leaving its 19th century colonial criminal codes in place. This MCLR+ event assembles a panel of scholars and lawyers to explore fundamental issues of popular sovereignty and the intersection of constitutional and criminal law that lie at the heart of Sandipto Dasgupta’s Legalizing the Revolution: India and the Constitution of the Postcolony (Cambridge UP 2024) (https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/... ). This book panel forms part of the MCLR+ series of events, publications, and resources focussed on Indian criminal law. [For further information, please consult MCLR+ Resources: India. (https://crimlrev.net/mclr-resources/)]   ► To stay informed about upcoming MCLR+ events, publications, and projects, please sign up for the MCLR+ mailing list and check the MCLR+ website; to receive notifications about upcoming livestreams, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Abhinav Sekhri (moderator) is a legal writer and lawyer practicing in New Delhi, India. He specializes in criminal law, evidence, and procedure. Gautam Bhatia Lawyer, Scholar & Author, Delhi, India Anuj Bhuwania, SNU Chennai Arudra Burra, IIT Delhi Aparna Chandra, NLSIU Sandipto Dasgupta, New School, NYC (author)

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Criminal Law and the Constitution of the Postcolony: India (A Book Panel)

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Imagine adopting a constitution notionally designed to install “The People” as the true repository of sovereign power and to throw off the colonial yoke, yet retaining a criminal justice system designed to maximize the police power of the colonial...

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