About ISLR

Indian Society for Legal Research (ISLR) is a rapidly growing community of niche academicians, thinkers, activists, lawyers, professors, legal volunteers, paralegals and legal entrepreneurs who stand apart from the rest of the community with their zeal for deep thinking, leadership skills, and dedication for bringing innovation to the legal field. Previously, ISLR has conducted First Global Ambassadors Programme (2019-20) and an empirical survey of the judgments of the ICJ and the PCIJ. ISLR has also offered one month online certificate course for UG & PG students on International Courts & Tribunals, International Humanitarian Law and Merger & Acquisition. ISLR published first blog series titled “Mapping the Constitutions”. In this blog series the authors have analyzed the various aspects of almost 179 constitutions. ISLR has successfully conducted First Virtual Summer School on International Legal System in the Age of Pandemic, 2020.

Concept Note

The World has witnessed an unprecedented pandemic due to novel corona virus. This is probably the first time that most of the countries around the globe were forced to close their borders and implement complete or partial lockdown within country in order to prevent the spread of the novel corona virus. This pandemic has also changed the way social, political and economic institution’s commitment towards people. We all are trying to contain the virus and bend the curve. In the Vasudhev Kutumbakam of Covid-19, the whole world has truly become one family, having common conversation and one goal- end of the pandemic. ‘Social-distancing’ and ‘quarantine’ are common in the conversations of the people who barely speak English. We spoke against the discrimination in one voice in #Blacklivesmatters movement. We stood together and showed our solidarity on Bella Ciao which became a symbol of unity and support during the pandemic. Emptied roads, webinars, individual wearing masks- are our common experience now.

However, soon after the lockdowns were announced, the reports of domestic violence, women and child abuse surged globally which led UN Secretary General to urge for the protection of women by the State in their response to the novel corona virus. While people needed economic support from the governments, the significant changes in labour laws in many countries made the situation worse for job seekers. India witnessed huge migration of migrant workers from the metropolitan cities to the rural areas. It exposed the urgent need of the legal reforms and institutional protection of the rights of migrant workers working not only in factories but also for the ones working in households.

While COVID-19 has brought new challenges to us, it has exposed the existing inequalities in the society, the suicidal attitude of the capitalists, and international liberal order. Cas Mudde says, “authoritarian leaders, whether in authoritarian regimes (e.g. China and Venezuela) or in (nominal) democracies (e.g. Israel and UK), are using the corona virus crisis, like most crises, to strengthen their grip on power and weaken dissent and opposition.” Yuval Noah Harari argues that in the COVID-19 crisis, we are left to choose; firstly, between totalitarian surveillance and empowerment of citizens; and, secondly, between nationalist isolation and global solidarity to fight the pandemic. Michael Sandel, on the other hand, says that the pandemic has made us re- examine the social and economic roles that matter the most. He says that the essential workers, such as, sanitation workers, delivery workers, nurses, shopkeepers, vendors, nurses etc. are doing the jobs that do not require a college degree, and, therefore, we should reconfigure our economy and society to grant those workers the compensation and recognition that contemplates the true value of their contributions even during the normal days. The recognition of essential workers reminds us of the former President of India late Mr. APJ Abdul Kalam who said that the education with value system is a key to world peace and the real threat to world peace is not a nuclear bomb but poverty in a society without value system.

Scholars argue that the access to lifeline medicines, including vaccines, antibiotics, and antivirals, should be a human right, universally available at no cost. If markets can’t provide incentives to cheaply produce such drugs, then governments and non-profits should take responsibility for their manufacture and distribution. The survival of the poor must at all times should be accounted a higher priority than the profits of Big Pharma.” There is a fear that States might engage in hoarding medical supplies or taking them from other countries. It seems that the nation-states have started practicing ‘social-distancing’ in terms of global cooperation- the result of which will be pernicious. The global community seems to be divided into an ‘us’ and a ‘them. This is the reason that the WHO chief warned against the ‘vaccine nationalism’ and urged for the fair access to vaccine.

While countries are bringing their values and power to benefit their own domestic politics and vested interests, yet, the absence of a genuine multilateral cooperation has been exposed by the COVID-19 outbreak. Simon Chesterman says, “Unless there is coordination in global responses, governments will face a choice between re-joining the international community and keeping out the disease… [The] problem faced by international institutions of global order is not structural. It is not even the lack of resources. It’s a deficit of trust.” A survey conducted by the UN showed tremendous support for international cooperation to solve global challenges, yet, polling conducted in US and Europe show that huge population do not trust public institutions.

In the above background, ISLR invites papers from scholars, academicians, activists, and students on the following sub-themes.

1. Gender, Identity, and Human Rights during covid-19 pandemic

2. Access to affordable vaccine during pandemic

3. Patent versus Public Health: Right to Affordable Medicine

4. Legal reforms for the protection of women and children in post-covid

5. Rights of healthcare workers, including the rights of personal protective equipment

6. Human Rights of Migrant Labourers in Covid-19

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

 

Abstract submission

 

1. There shall be a maximum of two authors for each

2. Abstract shall be maximum of 200 words including key words. Abstract must be accompanied by a cover page which must include following details:
   1. Title of the Paper
   2. Name of the Author and Co-author (if any)
   3. Designation
   4. University/College/Institution
   5. Contact details of Author and Co-author (if any)

4. Abstract shall be submitted to submissionsforislr@gmail.com on or before 05 November 2020 in MS-Word file
5. Intimation of Acceptance of Abstract- On or before 10 November

5. While submitting abstract the subject of the mail must be “Abstract Submission” with the Name of Author and Co-author (if any).

For Manuscript Submission:

 

1. The submission must not be previously published or currently under review at any other journal/conference/book etc. and should not be submitted to any other journal/conference while in process of review with us.
2. The submission must be the original work of the authors i.e. shouldn’t be plagiarized. It must also not contain any defamatory
3. The manuscript (including footnotes) must be within 3000-5000
4. The body of the manuscript shall be in Times New Roman, font size 12, 1.5-line spacing. Footnotes should be in Times New Roman, size 10 single line
5. The citation should strictly conform to the rules in The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th edition).
6. All submissions must be made in .doc or .docx
7. The manuscripts must be mailed at submissionsforislr@gmail.com

8.       The Last date for Submission of manuscript is 13 December, 2020

9. The Indian Society for Legal Research shall retain all the copyrights arising out of any publications and only the moral rights will vest with the

10.   A certificate will be given to all the participants

11. Selected papers will be published in an E-book with ISBN

IMPORTANT DATES:

Last date of abstract submission: 05 November, 2020

Intimation of Acceptance of Abstract- On or before 10 November 2020. Last date of manuscript submission: 13 December, 2020

Last date of registration: On or before 13 December, 2020 Date of Conference: 19 – 20 December, 2020 REGISTRATION FEES:

Registration fee for paper presentation- Rs. 150/- per author Registration fee for attendees- Rs.100.

Note: There will be fee for foreign participants. MODE OF PAYMENT

Google Pay/UPI:         +91-8944844182

Contact Us for Queries

Convener: Rida Ahmad, Co-Founder- ISLR Email: submissionsforislr@gmail.com Mobile: +91-8944844182

Members of Organizing Committee

Hamza Khan-              +91-8972070127

Zeba Hasan Khan-      +91-8210180110