The 8th Distinguished Law Lecture Series held at UAP

On Tuesday, 16 January 2018, the Department of Law and Human Rights, University of Asia Pacific (UAP) organised the 8^th UAP Distinguished Law Lecture Series 2018 in its city campus at Green Road.

Being invited as the Distinguished Speaker, his excellency Mr. Justice Md. Abdul Matin, Hon’ble Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh spoke on the topic 'Law and its Heritage'. In his lecture, Justice Matin talked about Roscoe Pound’s view written in the book The Spirit of the Common Law. Referring to The Spirit of the Common Law, the speaker said that "Philosopher and historian were agreed that law was found not made. This concept of law springs from its great heritage. The words, 'Every law is a discovery, a gift of God, a precept of wise man' attributed to Demosthenes and the famous words, 'Men do not make laws, they do but discover them' attributed to President Coolidge are but attestation of the age old concept."

Justice Matin commented that the idea of natural law or higher law can be found from the drama Antigone of Sophocles. He tried to make a nexus of concept of the rule of law and its reflection in the modern Constitution. The Constitution of People's Republic of Bangladesh in its preamble ensures the rule of law. But this concept can be located not only in the famous phrase of Harrington but also in Aristotle’s Politics. The concept of popular sovereignty has been incorporated in Article 7 of our Constitution but Corwin informs us that the notion of popular sovereignty, of a social contract and of a contract between governors and governed are all foreshadowed by Cicero. The concept that the king or ruler is under the law can be traced back to Bracton who said, “The King himself ought not to be subject to man, but subject to God and to the law”.

Justice Matin also added that in our Constitution it is said that if any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution that other law shall be void to the extent of the inconsistency. This concept is not the creation of John Marshall in Marbury v Madison case but was provided by a statute of Edward III in 1368 providing that any statute contrary to Magna Carta shall be void. The concept of Articles 31 and 32 of our Constitution can be located in Chapter 29 of Magna Carta. He also spoke about the Edward Coke’s contribution in Petition of Rights, Magna Carta and Bill of rights.

The Department of Law and Human Rights regularly organises the UAP Distinguished Law Lecture Series in order to facilitate young law students with an opportunity to interact with  senior advocates, judges and scholars of the country. Among others, Chief justice of Bangladesh Mr. Surendra Kumar Sinha, High Court Division Judge Mr. Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, Constitutional law Jurist late Mr. Mahmudul Islam, Eminent Jurist Dr. Kamal Hossain, Former Attorney General Mr. A F Hassan Ariff spoke in the previous UAP Distinguished Law Lecture Series.

The 8th UAP Distinguished Law Lecture Series 2018 was presided over by Professor Dr. Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, the Honourable Vice-Chancellor of UAP. Among others, Mr. Salahuddin Ahmad, Director at UAP School of Law, and Dr. Chowdhury Ishrak Ahmed Siddiky, Assistant Professor in Law, were present in the programme.

THE EVENT WAS COVERED BY JOY, FORHAD AND MORSHED, STUDENTS OF LAW, UAP.