September 7,2018:

Name of Legal Stalwart: Advocate V. Balasubramanian

Areas of Practice : Family law, Civil matters , Criminal law , Labor law and Revenue matters.

Enrollment No: 900/1989The interviewer, Amritha Priya Dharshini .J.K is a Final Year, BALLB (H) student of School of Law, Sastra University.

Q1) Why you chose law as your profession?

Ans: A law man is more powerful than a layman. As a lawyer, one can fight for the rights of the people through the weapon called LAW. Thus, in order to help people in public and my own fellow beings, I decided to become a lawyer.

Q2) What was your first case and how you dealt with the same?

Ans : My first case that I succeed was a maintenance case filed by a woman ( my client) against her divorced husband. The opponent advocate was a senior person with 25 years of experience but I were just a fresher! At the time of filing of the case, that husband was about to retire from his job who was a government employee. If he got retired, maintenance wont be allotted due to inability to earn. Thus, I argued to provide maintenance through the pension amount of that husband and the court ruled in my favour. That divorced woman is getting maintenance every month and will get till her death.

Q3) Have you came across any painful moment in your legal journey?

Ans : Yes. In a murder case, I appeared for the person claimed to be the murderer.The true story behind the case was that, in a family fight among the brothers and a sister, the sister had killed one of the brothers and turned the blame into my client who is an innocent. The case was later transferred to the neighbouring district due to jurisdictional issue. There, another lawyer appeared for my client. Due to the circumstantial evidences, my client, an innocent, was punished for murder and put to imprisonment. He later died of mental agony in the prison. Due to a lacuna in the law, an innocent died. This was a painful moment for me as a lawyer.

Q4) What are all the areas of law that you think there is a need for improvement?

Ans: A) There should be some restrictions in using the social media. Now a days, people are so sadistic that they shoot somebody’s pain ( for eg. Torturing a dog and shooting the same ) and post it in social media just to get cheap popularity. Thus laws should be brought on restrictions in enjoying the freedom of speech and expression through the platform of social media. B) The concept of Circumstantial Evidence becomes highly arbitrary when it claims an innocent as a criminal due to circumstances. So, an alternative for the same is to be brought into practice in determining a criminal. C) Strict Anti-Corruption laws have to be enforced to abolish corruption.Q.5) Do you feel any difference in the law schools then and now?

Ans : A vast difference exists between the law schools then and now. During my college time, students were always involved in some protests to safeguard their rights.So, classes were not regularly conducted at law colleges then.We never had a chance to go for internships like you people do. We also didn’t had moot courts during our college days. The legal education as a whole has undergone a progressive change during the last 10 years.

Q6) What difference do you feel in the legal field then and now ?

Ans : I personally feel that people then were more honest and dedicated towards their duty as a lawyer/ as a Magistrate/Justice. Thus, people had faith in judiciary.But, today, faith in judiciary is slowly getting down due to various reasons.

Q7) What is your advice for young lawyers and law students?

Ans : - One should join as a junior under an eminent advocate and be there atleast for 5 years. - To read law books and journals everyday - To be aware of the latest amendments and Judgments.

Q8) What is your view on Women Empowerment ?

Ans : Women had been given 33% of opportunities in every employment. Beyond that 33%, women also perform well and get qualified in general quota upto some 25%.Thus, approximately, 60% of opportunities are in the hands of women which in turn leads the nation progressively.

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