Law and Society in South Asia (LASSA) Workshop 2023

Dr. Maryam S. Khan is a socio-legal scholar on South Asia, and a resident Research Fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS) in Pakistan. Maryam’s interests and ongoing projects relate to comparative constitutional law and history, sociology of legal professions, judicialization and legal mobilization in authoritarian contexts, ethnic federalism, and law and social movements. She is presently the Pakistan Country Lead for a 5-year Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) research project on ‘Sustaining Power for Women’s Rights in South Asia’ (SuPWR) that studies the decision-making and strategizing processes of women’s collectives in response to backlash. Her current book project is on Pakistan’s Constitution of 1973, involving both archival research and oral history on the socio-political foundations and processes of constitution-making. Her work has been published widely in international and comparative law journals, including Yale Law Journal, Harvard Journal on Racial and Ethnic Justice, Temple International and Comparative Law Journal, and others. She was the co-convener for a special issue on ‘Law in Context in Post-Colonial South Asia’ in the International Journal on Law in Context (IJLC) published in 2023. Maryam is a Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn (2003), an LL.M from Yale Law School (2009), and an SJD (Doctor of Juridical Science) from University of Wisconsin Law School (2023).

An experienced and passionate teacher of Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Family Law, Law and Religion, and numerous topics in Comparative Law and Human Rights, Jeff is currently expanding upon research and scholarly approaches developed for ‘A Secular Need: Islamic Law and State Governance in Contemporary India’ (University of Washington Press, Global South Asia series, 2020) while also working on his next monograph concerning the legal archives of transgender rights in South Asia. Jeff’s scholarship has appeared in top-ranked international peer-reviewed journals like South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, Modern Asian Studies, Asian Journal of Law and Society, and Modern Law Review. He has also published in the National Law School of India Review and many U.S. law journals. Jeff is also the South Asia contributor to the field-defining Oxford Handbook of Islamic Law, the co-editor of a recent Indian Law Review special issue on family law, and the co-editor of the pathbreaking volume ‘Queer and Religious Alliances in Family Law Politics and Beyond’ (Anthem Press, 2022). Jeff’s research interests are in the areas of comparative law and religion, Islamic law, legal pluralism, family law, and law and sexuality. He has lectured widely on these topics in North America, South Asia, Europe, and Australia, where he has been a New Generation Network scholar and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Jeff has taught around the world, including for many years in the United States, where he has also held research fellowships at Yale Law School (Oscar M. Ruebhausen program), Harvard Law School (Islamic Legal Studies Program), and Columbia Law School (Center for the Study of Law and Culture). Earlier in his career, Jeff taught law in Pakistan while a recipient of a fellowship from the U.S. Fulbright Foundation and later served as Dean and Professor of the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. Jeff earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Dr Zoha Waseem is an Assistant Professor (Sociology and Criminology) at the Department of Sociology, University of Warwick, and Co-coordinator of the international platform, the Urban Violence Research Network. She is the author of the book Insecure Guardians: Enforcement, Encounters, and Everyday Policing in Postcolonial Karachi (Hurst/Oxford University Press, 2022) which ethnographically explores the development of police institutional culture in postcolonial contexts, with a focus on urban Pakistan. She is also co-editor of the volume, Southern and Postcolonial Perspectives on Policing, Security, and Social Order (Bristol University Press, 2023) and an Associate Editor of the journal, Critical Studies on Security. Zoha conducts interdisciplinary research on policing, state violence, crime, coercion, and counterinsurgency with a focus on Pakistan, South Asia, as well as the UK. She is broadly interested in the politics of policing and insecurity in the urban global South, militarisation, migration, informality, the pluralisation of policing, ethnographic methods, and postcolonial and decolonial perspectives on policing, security, and criminal justice. Her work has been published in the Journal of Urban Affairs, Policing and Society, Political and Legal Anthropology Review (PoLAR), and the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.

Dr. Yasser Kureshi is a Department Lecturer in South Asian Studies and the Course Director for the MSc and MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies at the School of Global and Areas Studies at the University of Oxford. Working at the intersection of political science and public law, his research looks at the politics of unelected state institutions outside democratic contexts. In particular, he studies the military and the judiciary and their impact on constitutional configurations and democratic outcomes in authoritarian and post-authoritarian states. His recently published book, “Seeking Supremacy: The Pursuit of Judicial Power in Pakistan,” traces the evolution of the relationship between the judiciary and military in Pakistan, and seeks to explain why Pakistan’s high courts shifted from loyal deference to the military to open competition, and confrontation, with military and civilian institutions. His other research on judicial politics examines the emergence and characteristics of populist courts around the world, and the role anti-corruption jurisprudence can play in facilitating democratic backsliding. Beyond courts, Yasser is also undertaking research on democratic backsliding, authoritarianism and military constitutionalism in South Asia, federalism and constitutional decentralization in hybrid and tutelary regimes, and the formation of legal cultures.

Professor Dina M. Siddiqi is a cultural anthropologist by training and is based at New York University (NYU). Her research — grounded in the study of Bangladesh — joins critical development studies, transnational feminist theory, and the anthropology of labor and Islam. She has published extensively on the global garment industry and supply chains, non-state gender justice systems, and the cultural politics of Islam, feminism, and nationalism. She is currently engaged in a project on discourses of national development and the travels of civilizational feminism. Professor Siddiqi sits on the editorial boards of Contemporary South Asia, Dialectical Anthropology, and the Journal of Bangladesh Studies. She serves on the Executive Committee of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS), and is on the Editorial Board of Routledge’s Women in Asia Publication Series. She is also on the Executive Board of Sakhi for South Asian Women. She is affiliated with the Law, Ethics, History, and Religion (LEHR) and the Global Cultures concentrations.

View Dina M. Siddiqi’s Keynote Address at the LASSA Workshop 2023 on this link.

Dr. Cynthia Farid is a legal historian and a lawyer with longstanding experience in research, legal practice as well as a range of international development and rule of law programming with INGOs, think tanks, and legal rights organizations. Having completed her bar from the UK and Bangladesh, she graduated with advanced degrees from Cornell Law School (LL.M) and the University of Wisconsin Law School (SJD-Doctor of Juridical Science). Prior to joining the Hong Kong University as a Global Academic Fellow in 2022, Cynthia was practicing as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and had been working with the Human Rights Forum Bangladesh, a coalition of 20 human rights NGOs, to support its engagement with the United Nations Committee against Torture and the Universal Periodic Review. Cynthia’s research interests include socio-legal history, constitutional and administrative law, law and development (with a focus on South Asia), and knowledge production
processes in the Global South. She is also the organizer of two International Research Collaboratives of the Law and Society Association (LSA) on South Asian Legal Systems and Scholars in the Global South respectively, that have brought together scholars from around the globe to work on collaborative projects. She has published in a number of international journals and has secured a book contract with Hart Publishers in its “Constitutional Systems of the World” series for a co-authored book titled “The Constitution of Bangladesh: A Contextual Analysis” with an anticipated publication date of 2023. As a Global Academic Fellow, she plans to expand on and publish her doctoral research (titled “Imperial Constitutionalism: Judicial Politics in Colonial India (1861-1935)”) into a book-length monograph.

Dr. Dinesha Samararatne is Professor at the Department of Public & International Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Colombo, Sri
Lanka. Her research interests include public participation in constitution-making, constitutional resilience, women and constitutional law, fourth branch institutions and the relevance of the global south in comparative constitutional law. Dinesha has published widely. She is a Senior Research Associate, Laureate Program in Comparative Constitutional Law and Co-Convenor of Constitution Transformation Network (CTN) of the Melbourne Law School, Australia. She is a member of the Editorial Board of the Indian Law Review and has served as a Co-Editor of the IACL Blog (2019-2021). At the Melbourne Law School, she has been Postdoctoral Fellow (2019-2020) and Kathleen Fitzpatrick Visiting Fellow (April – May 2018). In 2023 she was appointed as an independent expert to the Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka.

Yaqoob Khan Bangash is a historian specializing in modern South Asia. He holds a DPhil from Oxford and a Post Doc from Harvard. His research focuses on the emergence of Pakistan as a post-colonial state, encompassing broader interests in decolonization, modern state formation, the development of identities, and the emergence of ethnic and identity-based conflicts across South Asia.

Dr Bangash’s first book, titled ‘A Princely Affair: Accession and Integration of Princely States in Pakistan, 1947-55,’ was published by Oxford University Press in 2015. Currently, he is in the process of completing another book titled ‘Between the Sword and the Pen: The History of the Lahore High Court.’

His work has also been published in reputable journals such as Modern Asian Studies, Imperial and Commonwealth History, South Asia Research, and the Indian Economic and Social History Review. He has previously held positions as a British Academy Visiting Fellow, Chevening Fellow, and Fulbright Fellow. Currently, he serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at IT University in Lahore.

Shaista Anwar holds the position of Assistant Professor at the University of Central Punjab, Lahore, where she is dedicated to fostering academic excellence in Jurisprudence, International Law, and Property Laws. With a commitment to advancing legal education and scholarship, she served as the Secretary for both the 1^st International Conference on Clinical Legal Education and the 2^nd International Conference on Law Tech and Legal Education, held at the University of Central Punjab, Lahore. As a legal scholar, Shaista’s research interests span across the realms of international law, international humanitarian law, human rights law, conflict of laws, arbitration, and legal philosophy. Her work reflects a deep engagement with contemporary legal issues and a nuanced understanding of the intersections between theory and practice. Through her teaching and research endeavors, Shaista Anwar contributes to the academic discourse, fostering an environment that encourages critical thinking, creativity, and the development of a comprehensive understanding of the complex jurisprudential landscape.

Tejaswi Chhatwal is a PhD student at the Centre for Study of Law and Governance (CSLG), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.  Her doctoral research examines the operation of penal anti-caste discrimination laws in India and adopts an ethnographic approach to study ‘atrocity’ trials in courtrooms. Previously, Tejaswi has worked as a Research Associate on a number of projects concerning domestic labour; ethnic conflicts; disability, sexuality, and violence against women. Tejaswi is also the Post Graduate Research Student Coordinator for LASSnet (Law and Social Sciences Network).

Dr Sagnik Dutta is an Associate Professor at Jindal Global Law School, OP Jindal Global University. They hold a PhD in Politics and International Studies from the University of Cambridge. Their work contributes to decolonial, postcolonial political theory through an exploration of the everyday politics of Muslim citizenship in India. Their scholarship brings together insights from political theory, legal anthropology, critical legal studies, and feminist theory. They have published in prominent peer-reviewed journals including Feminist Theory, Law and Social Inquiry, Ethnicities, Asian Journal of Law and Society, and Legal Pluralism and Critical Social Analysis. Their monograph titled ‘In the Shadow of Minority Rights: Decolonising the gendered politics of Muslim citizenship in India’ is forthcoming with Cambridge University Press.

Vishesh is a researcher from Bangalore, India. He holds a post-graduate diploma in human rights law from the National Law School of India University, and a Master’s in Anthropology & Sociology from the Graduate Institute, Geneva. His master’s thesis studies life after prison and rehabilitation work in India. More recently, he was a Research Associate at Azim Premji University, on two research projects that explore the legal aid apparatus in Karnataka state, India. His research interests include the anthropology of the law, politics, and the state. He is also interested in questions of colonialism and carcerality in South Asia.

Momal, a legal professional holding a B.A.-LL.B. (Hons.) from the Lahore University of Management Sciences, is deeply committed to championing fundamental rights. Her practical experience as a Judicial Clerk at the Supreme Court of Pakistan exposed her to the intricacies of constitutional law and human rights. In her current capacity at Axis Law Chambers, Momal specializes in constitutional, civil, and commercial litigation matters, bringing a practical understanding to these areas. Beyond her legal work, Momal actively advocates for the value of literature and legal pedagogy in fostering a more inclusive legal landscape. Serving as the General Secretary of the LUMS Alumni Association and as the Law School Representative on the LUMS Student & Alumni Advisory Board, Momal embraces the opportunity to contribute to her commitment of mentoring and supporting the next generation of legal professionals.

Anjali is a PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Miranda House, Delhi University. The course exposed her to diverse threads of political discourse. She completed her master’s degree from the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. This enabled her to acquire a deeper understanding into the ever evolving nature of governance structures and law that is often shaped by imperatives of populism and power calculus. Her current thesis concerns itself with analyzing the selective and curated application of laws in service of the logic of populism and how that can impact and shape long standing constitutional values. It specifically deals with the application of Extraordinary Security Laws in the Indian context and the ways in which it can render the understanding of Rule of Law malleable in the Indian political imagination. She has presented at the workshop under the project ‘Geographies of Populism’ organized by Aalbourg University, Denmark. She has also made a presentation at Ulster University, Northern Ireland titled ‘Honour and Chivalry: Investigating the Ingredients of Anti-Terror Laws in India’ as well as at Aligarh Muslim University titled ‘India as Aid Donor and Significance of Aid in International Politics’. Her fields of interest include Political Philosophy and Constitutional Law.

Aqsa Qandeel is a lecturer of Sociology at the Women’s University Multan, Pakistan. She recently completed her PhD at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. She is a gold medalist in Masters of Sociology from Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan. She has a distinction in M.Phil Sociology from the same institution. Her area of research expertise is qualitative gerontology. Her research covers various socio-cultural and socio-legal aspects of homelessness in Pakistan. She has written five journal articles, publications in national and international HEC-recognized journals, and three book chapters on current issues, including destitution among elderly people, legislative issues of marginalized and vulnerable groups, the COVID-19 situation, and academic achievements with qualitative and quantitative research approaches. She has experience teaching the following subjects: sociology of education, sociology of law, health and medicine, gender studies, anthropology, social research methodology, social theories, principles of sociology, criminology, political sociology, community development and social statistics. Above all, she is passionate and enthusiastic about learning innovative research methodologies for self-improvement and community development.

Panchali Ray is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies and Associate Dean (Academic) at Krea University. Her book ‘Politics of Precarity: Gendered Subjects and the Health Care Industry in Contemporary Kolkata’ (OUP, 2019) focused on the stigma faced by nurses and nursing aides and the persistence of gender and caste in the profession. Subsequently, she worked on nationalism, gender and politics and edited a volume ‘Women Speak Nation: Gender, Culture, and Politics’ (Routledge, 2020). She is currently researching rivers, borders, migration, citizenship and care regimes in Bengal, India.

Dr. Rishika Sahgal (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in Law at the University of Birmingham. She completed her DPhil in Law at the University of Oxford in 2022 as a Rhodes Scholar, exploring issues of displacement and resistance in India and South Africa. Her research and teaching interests span human rights, equality law, and criminal justice issues, from comparative Global South and anticolonial perspectives. Prior to Oxford, Dr. Sahgal served as law clerk to the Chief Justice of India at the Supreme Court of India. She completed her undergraduate studies in law at National Law University, Delhi, where she was senior researcher on the Death Penalty Research Project. This research was cited by the Law Commission of India in its report recommending the abolition of the penalty, and by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, member of the Indian Parliament, while introducing a private member’s bill to abolish the death penalty in India.

Srinjoy Sarkar is an Associate Professor at Jindal Global Law School where he enjoys teaching International Law, and Human Rights Law and Theory. He occasionally also teaches Legal Methods to first year law students. His current research is directed towards municipal application of peremptory norms. Srinjoy has an emerging interest in the intersection of anthropology and human rights. He has previously worked as a researcher and writer with the War Crimes Research Office, Washington D.C., where he helped build the Gender Jurisprudence Collection. The Gender Jurisprudence Collection is a database of relevant sexual gender based violence cases emerging from the international and domestic war-crimes tribunals along with decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. Srinjoy has also served as a reporter for Oxford Reports on International Law: European Human Rights Section, where he was responsible for preparing case briefs of identified cases from the European Court of Human Rights. Srinjoy was accepted as a Legal Fellow at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, where he was a part of the Strategic Litigation Team to support their work with Human Rights Award Laureates. Furthermore, Srinjoy previously worked for the non-profit law firm: Public International Law and Policy Group.

Palvasha Shahab is a lawyer, researcher and lecturer. She teaches history and politics at the Department of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts at IBA, Karachi. She is presently undertaking a scholarship at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory, Frankfurt. Her research interests include contemporary encounters and critical histories of citizenship, conditions of labour extraction, environments, bureaucratic ordering and global supply chains. She researches the nexuses between these, as mo(ve)ments of meaning-making and narrativity, to find emancipatory possibilities. Her law practice has been focused on socio-economic rights, labour, gender and environmental justice.

Bazaf Shahbaz is a lawyer based in Lahore. He graduated with honors, earning a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B Honors) from the prestigious University of Central Punjab, Lahore. His dedication and academic excellence were recognized as he graduated as a Gold Medalist and was bestowed with the Roll of Honor Award. Currently serving as an Associate at Saqlain and Husnain Advocates & Corporate Counsels, Mr. Shahbaz combines his legal expertise with a passion for research. His scholarly pursuits have spanned diverse areas, including fundamental rights, clean water, and environmental law. A committed academic, Mr. Shahbaz also contributes to the legal education landscape as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Central Punjab, Lahore. With an evolving focus on research, Mr. Shahbaz’s current scholarly endeavors center around the socio-legal perspectives of vagrancy. His research not only delves into the legal intricacies surrounding vagrancy but also explores its broader societal implications.

Sakshi Wadhwa is a doctoral student at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. She is working on the idea of “The People and Peoplehood” in terms of cultural artifacts, the state, and popular mobilizations in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Her research interests include the confluence of culture and politics, law and society, and social stratification in the construction of peoplehood in India. She has co-authored papers at the workshop under the project ‘Geographies of Populism’ organized by Aalborg University, Denmark, and at Aligarh Muslim University, India. She has also presented a solo-authored paper centering around populism at an international conference organized by the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has interned at a news website where she has written research articles on contemporary political issues and legal developments that involved political parties, civil liberties, and individual rights. She completed her master’s in Political Science from the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.