Call for Papers: National Conference on 50 Years of Constitutional Dissent, NLUO Cuttack [Hybrid, 23-24 Jan 2027; Fee Rs 750-1,500; Abstracts by 7 Nov 2026]

The Constitutional Law Society of National Law University Odisha (NLUO), Cuttack, is organising a National Conference titled 50 Years of the Constitutional Dissent: Revisiting Justice H.R. Khanna’s Legacy, in collaboration with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonepat. The conference will be held on 23 and 24 January 2027 in hybrid mode.

The Constitutional Law Society was established in 2018 as a platform for public discourse and deliberation on constitutional law, through scholarship, public lectures and seminars, independent projects, conferences and cooperation with other institutions.

Dissenting opinions have played an important role in the development of Indian constitutional law. The conference will examine dissent in relation to individual liberty and State power, with particular focus on Justice H.R. Khanna’s dissent in ADM Jabalpur, which challenged the view that the right to life and personal liberty could be suspended during an Emergency.

Discussions will address the rule of law, preventive detention, political dissent, protest, sedition and its successor provisions, UAPA, bail and internet shutdowns. The conference will also consider dissent in constitutional design, including judicial appointments, legislative procedure, executive power and the limits of judicial deference.

• Panel I: 50 Years of Constitutional Dissent: Revisiting Justice H.R. Khanna’s Legacy, revisiting the judgment in ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla, its implications for liberty during the Emergency and the responsibility of the judiciary when constitutional rights are under threat.
• Panel II: Democracy, Dissent and Judicial Decisions, on the role of dissenting opinions in shaping constitutional jurisprudence and the relationship between judicial decisions, democratic accountability and individual rights.

I. Justice H.R. Khanna’s Dissent and Liberty: The Citizen, the State, and the Right to Dissent

• ADM Jabalpur revisited: executive emergency powers, Article 21, habeas corpus, and judicial independence during emergencies.
• The citizen’s right to protest: freedom of speech, assembly, internet shutdowns, and the test of reasonable restrictions under Article 19.
• Justice in times of state crises: protection of personal liberty and human rights during emergencies, due process, pre-trial detention, sedition, and anti-terror law.

II. Vindicated Dissents and the Evolution of Constitutional Doctrine

• From dissent to doctrine: evolution of judicial dissents into binding legal precedents.
• The road to Kesavananda Bharati: early judicial doubts in Sajjan Singh, Golak Nath, and the scope of amending power.
• Fundamental Rights vs. Directive Principles: judicial dissents on Article 31C and constitutional balance.
• Dynamics of judicial precedent: factors and conditions under which minority opinions overrule or reshape established doctrine over time.

III. Dissent in Constitutional Thought: Who Dissenters Are, Where Dissent Lives, and What It Means

• Dissent in the making of the Constitution: the Constituent Assembly debates, minority voices on rights, federalism, and emergency powers.
• Civil disobedience and constitutional order: Gandhian satyagraha, the line between lawful protest and unlawful resistance.
• Dissent within the legislature: the role of the Opposition, and suspension of Members and disruption of Parliament.
• Theorising dissent: agonistic and deliberative democracy, the role of dissent in democratic legitimacy, and the idea of “constitutional patriotism.”

These are only suggestive sub-themes and indicative topics. Participants may choose a different sub-theme, so long as it falls under the ambit of dissent and relates to the broader theme of the conference.

The organisers invite students from undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes, practitioners, academicians, policymakers and scholars. The conference is hybrid, so participants may present in person or online. Attendees who join only to take part, without presenting, are allowed offline only and cannot make any submission or presentation.

• The abstract should not exceed 250-350 words and must contain a maximum of five relevant keywords.
• It must highlight the structure and essence of the paper.
• Submit it in .doc/.docx format through the Google form given in the brochure on or before 11:59 pm, 7 November 2026.
• Style: Times New Roman, font size 12, line spacing 1.15, justified.

• Word limit: 4000-8000 words, exclusive of footnotes.
• Citations must strictly follow the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (fifth edition, 2026). Speaking or substantive footnotes are permitted.
• There is no limit on the number of authors.
• Acronyms and short forms must be spelled out in full at first use, with the short form in parentheses, and then used uniformly.
• Submit the paper in .doc/.docx format through the Google form by 11:59 pm, 10 January 2027. Name the file in the format Participant Code_Title of Paper.
• The similarity index must not exceed 15%. Participants should read the NLUO Law Journal Policy on Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies.
• Submissions must be original and not submitted for publication or published elsewhere in any form.
• Main body: Times New Roman, size 12, line spacing 1.5, justified. Footnotes: Times New Roman, size 10, line spacing 1, justified.

After the abstract is confirmed as selected, participants pay the registration fee, fill the Google registration form and upload the fee receipt. The fee is per person, not per presenting team, and includes registration kits, lunch and refreshments for both days. Participants presenting or attending offline must arrange their own accommodation. The payment steps are set out in the brochure.

• Presenting participants: Rs 1500 for academicians and practitioners, Rs 1000 for research scholars and students, Rs 750 for students of NLUO and DBRANLU.
• Attendees only: Rs 500, or Rs 250 for attendees from NLUO and DBRANLU. Attendees receive a certificate of participation and may attend the panel discussions on both days, offline only.

• Call for abstracts opens: 24 October 2026
• Abstract submission deadline: 7 November 2026
• Selection of abstracts: 20 November 2026
• Registration deadline: 30 November 2026
• Research paper submission deadline: 10 January 2027
• Conference: 23 and 24 January 2027

For queries, write to cls@nluo.ac.in. Faculty coordinators: Dr. Rishika Khare and Ms. Athena Solomon K (Assistant Professors, NLUO). Student coordinators: Astha Samal (+91 7225020390), Prathiksha Gowda (+91 7349722066), Manasvi Singh (+91 7839961279) and Mahi Jain (+91 9893351598).