'Legal Stories of Life': Celebration of Your Advocate

Omar Khan's work emancipates the law from Court precincts and the hallowed halls of academia and, to use a cliché, brings the law to our doorsteps.

-Mr. Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, Hon'ble Judge, High Court Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh

The book 'Legal Stories of Life' is a compilation of Barrister Omar H. Khan's write-ups published in The Daily Star's popular 'Your Advocate' column in the 'Law and Our Rights' page over the span of last one decade. The write-ups consist of legal solutions to real-life problems of people from various backgrounds on diverse issues, which the author has termed as 'stories'. As the book is a compilation of the queries from the readership of The Daily Star, it provides an enthusiastic and necessary insight into various problems encountered by the people of Bangladesh on a daily basis without the legal jargons. The author has carefully updated all the answers, as many answers were published a decade ago. Accordingly, it is not a traditional law book which is either text book or practitioners' book. This book is for everyone, to any reader this will appears like a story book. Every reader will find stories that he/she can relate with his/her life.

The book is divided into several chapters, namely, family law, criminal law, employment law, corporate law, property law and miscellaneous. Internationally proclaimed painters namely, Mr. Rafiqun Nabi, Mr. Monirul Islam, Mr. Shahid Kabir, Mr. Jamal Ahmed, Ms. Rokeya Sultana, Mohammad Iqbal and Mr. Mustafa Khalid Palash have painted 7 paintings to mark the starting pages of each chapter in the book, which is first of a kind for a law book. Moreover, 09 photographs were selected through a photography contest for amateur photographers on 09 selected topics from the book. As such the book focuses on legal stories not only through the theoretical legal write ups but also through the paintings and photographs. The book is believed to be one of a kind within its genera and has received remarkable positive reviews within this short period. 

Bangladesh is doing tremendous developments in different sectors but is lacking behind in developing the 'culture' of abiding by the laws of the life. The nation suffers for the preconceived notion that there is no effective legal solution to our daily problems. The Author's objective behind the book is aimed to change this mind-set of the people to help raise the legal awareness and motivate them adopt the 'culture' of respecting the basis norms & laws of the society. Various approaches have been taken towards creating such awareness but nonetheless these always been confined on focusing to the marginalised population or target group e.g. destitute and oppressed women, child, victims of crime etc. Whereas this book is for an excellent resource to students, educators and the people at large who will ultimately have the leash of decision making and driving the nation in their capable hands. As part of the plan, the author is circulating 10,000 circulated 'free of cost' with support from the publisher and sponsors to different institutions including Universities and Colleges, local and international NGOs, business chambers, professional associations etc. throughout the country. Change requires time and the book is the Author's attempt to be the first drop in the ripple effect to the change that will create a nation that respects law.

'Legal Stories of Life' is the first publication of Legal Counsel as a publishing house. Legal Counsel is a reputed corporate law chambers based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Legal Counsel, as a law chamber, has always been committed to act ethically and responsibly in all its actions and has adopted a Social Responsibility Policy of its own reflecting its core values. In its pursuit of excellence, besides providing professional services to its clientele, Legal Counsel is dedicated to work for the betterment of the society through its pro-bono activities, especially focusing on gender, equality, human rights, working conditions and access to justice. Legal Counsel has published its first formal publication authored by its Managing Partner, Barrister Omar H. Khan.

Barrister Khan is an Advocate at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He is the Advocate of the popular 'Your Advocate' column of The Daily Star and wrote by the name Omar Khan Joy. He has placed his mark in the contemporary legal arena both locally and internationally. Descending from a family high in social, cultural and educational values, he has had an excellent upbringing, with distinctive academic records and a long list of participation and triumphs in numerous competitions and championships of different kinds throughout his educational life.

Reviewed by Law Desk.