The Department of Law, University of Calcutta,

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

, formerly University College of Law, is a faculty in the University of Calcutta, founded in 1909, colloquially referred to as Hazra Law College, which offers undergraduate, postgraduate, doctorate and post doctorate courses. The Faculty oversees fifteen affiliated Law schools of the University.

History

The college was established by the then Vice Chancellor of

University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate State university (India), state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered ...

Ashutosh Mukherjee Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee (anglicised, originally Asutosh Mukhopadhyay, also anglicised to Asutosh Mookerjee) (29 June 1864 – 25 May 1924) was a prolific Bengali educator, jurist, barrister and mathematician. He was the first student to be awar ...

in 1909. Prior to 1983, the Department of Law was known as the University College of Law. Sir Asutosh wanted it to be a model center of legal education. In a meeting held on 4 July 1908, the Senate recommended the proposal to establish University Law College in Kolkata. Sir Surendranath Banerjee was also present at the meeting, which was presided by

Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser Sir Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser (14 November 1848 – 26 February 1919) was a British officer of the Indian Civil Service and the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal between 1903 and 1908. Early life and education Born in Bombay on 14 Novembe ...

, the

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the University. The resolution was passed that a college is to be established for the promotion of legal education of the students of

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

for degrees in law and to serve as a model college. Finally the University Law College, started functioning under the management of a government body consisting of 16 members with the Vice-Chancellor as President from July, 1909. Eminent scholar and jurist Dr. S.C. Bagchi, LL.D became the first principal and Birajmohan Majumdar was appointed the first vice-principal of this College. The Faculty has been in its current state since 1983.

Courses

The Department offers a five-year integrated B.A LL.B.(Hons.) program. Admission to the Department's undergraduate program as well as its affiliated colleges is done on the basis of a Common Admission Test which is taken by upwards of 5,000 students every year. The Department also offers a two year Master of law (

LL.M A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...

), a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

Programme and also provides Post-Doctoral research (

LL.D Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the earl ...

Notable alumni

{{Incomplete list, date=April 2021 The services of the Department to the University and the country are not always realized. The Department of Law has been, during the course of its existence for over a century, a nursery of leaders of the State, Bar and the Judiciary.

Presidents

* Rajendra Prasad - First

President of India The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...

Pranab Mukherjee Dr. Pranab Mukherjee (11 December 193531 August 2020) was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the 13th president of India from 2012 until 2017. In a political career spanning five decades, Mukherjee was a senior leader in the India ...

- 13th President of India * Abdus Sattar - President of Bangladesh and Interior Minister of Pakistan *

Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (29 March 1916 – 8 July 1997) was a Bangladeshi jurist and statesman. He was first Chief Justice of Bangladesh from 1972 to 1975. He became the President of Bangladesh in the aftermath of counter-coups in November 197 ...

- First Chief Justice of Bangladesh and President of Bangladesh *

Fazlul Qadir Chaudhry Fazlul Quader Chowdhury (1919–1973) was a Bengali people, Bengali politician who served as the 5th speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan from East Pakistan. He belonged to Ayub Khan (Field Marshal), Ayub Khan's Convention Muslim League. ...

- Acting

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.A. K. Fazlul Huq Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq ( bn, আবুল কাশেম ফজলুল হক, ur, ; 26October 1873 — 27 April 1962), popularly known as Sher-e-Bangla (''Lion of Bengal''), was a British Indian and Pakistani lawyer and writer who present ...

- 1st

Prime Minister of Bengal The Prime Minister of Bengal was the head of government of Bengal Presidency, Bengal Province and the Leader of the House in the Bengal Legislative Assembly in British India. The position was dissolved upon the Partition of Bengal (1947), Partitio ...

and Interior Minister of Pakistan *

B. P. Koirala Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala ( ne, विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला; 8 September 1914 – 21 July 1982), (Nepali: 1971 B.S. Bhadra 24 - 2039 B.S Shrawan 6)better known as B. P. Koirala ( ne, बीपी ...

- First democratically elected prime minister of Nepal *

Nurul Amin Nurul Amin ( bn, নুরুল আমিন; ur, ; 15 July 1893 – 2 October 1974) was a prominent Pakistani leader, and a jurist who served as the eighth prime minister of Pakistan and as the first and only vice president of Pakistan. He ...

- 8th

prime minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan ( ur, , romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen cabinet, despite the president of Paki ...

and 1st Vice President

Chief Justices

Bijan Kumar Mukherjea Bijan Kumar Mukherjea ( bn, বিজন কুমার মুখার্জী; 15 August 1891 – 22 February 1956) was the 4th Chief Justice of India. He was in his office from 22 December 1954 to 31 January 1956. Avocation Joined Calcut ...

- 4th

Chief Justice of India The chief justice of India (IAST: ) is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of India as well as the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Judiciary. The Constitution of India grants power to the president of India to appoint, in consultation w ...

* Sudhi Ranjan Das - 5th

Amal Kumar Sarkar Justice Amal Kumar Sarkar ( bn, অমল কুমার সরকার) (29 June 1901 – 18 December 2001) was the eighth Chief Justice of India, from 16 March 1966 up to his retirement on 29 June 1966. Education He studied at the pr ...

- 8th

* Altamas Kabir - 39th

Fazal Akbar Fazal-e-Akbar (born November 1903, date of death unknown) was chief justice of Pakistan. He graduated in Arts from St. Xavier College, Calcutta, India. He graduated in Law from University of Calcutta and was called to Bar from Lincoln's Inn, Lo ...

- 6th

Chief Justice of Pakistan } The Chief Justice of Pakistan (Urdu: ) (Initialism, initials as CJP) is head of the court system of Pakistan (the Judiciary of Pakistan, judicature branch of Government of Pakistan, government) and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Paki ...

Kemaluddin Hossain Kemaluddin Hossain (31 March 1923 – 21 August 2013) was a Bangladeshi jurist who served as the third Chief Justice of Bangladesh from 1 February 1978 until 11 April 1982. He was a chairman of Bangladesh Law Commission. Early life and career Ho ...

- 3rd Chief Justice of Bangladesh

Supreme Court Judges and other luminaries

* Pinaki Chandra Ghose - First Lokpal and Judge of the Supreme Court of India. * Indira Banerjee - Sitting Judge in the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...

* Radhabinod Pal - International Jurist *

Asok Kumar Ganguly Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly is an Indian jurist. He served as the Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission and as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India who delivered judgements in some high-profile cases like the 2G spectrum case. ...

- Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India * G.N. Ray - Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India *

Bankim Chandra Ray Bankim Chandra Ray (born 1 November 1926) is an Indian former judge of the Supreme Court of India and politician. Early life Ray was born to Bhuson Chandra Ray into a rich Poundra Kshatriya zamindar family at 24 Praganas, Bengal Presidenc ...

- Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India *

Ganendra Narayan Ray Ganendra Narayan Ray (born 1 May 1933) is a Bengali Indian jurist, who served as the chief justice of the Gujarat High Court. Early life and education He was educated at the Presidency College, the Scottish Church College and the Department of ...

- Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India and chief justice of the Gujarat High Court * Alak Chandra Gupta - Former Judge in the

* M. K. Mukherjee - Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India * S.C. Sen - Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India * Tarun Chatterjee - Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India * N. L. Untwalia - Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India *

Amarendra Nath Sen Amarendra Nath Sen (born 1 October 1920) was a Bengali Indian jurist, who served as the chief justice of the Calcutta High Court in 1979 and as a judge in the Supreme Court of India. His grandfather Baikuntha Nath Sen was a notable political lea ...

- Judge in the Supreme Court of India and Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court *

- Judge in the Supreme Court of India and Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court

Chief Justices of High Courts

Shyamal Kumar Sen Shyamal Kumar Sen (born 25 November 1940) is an Indian jurist who served as a chief justice of the Allahabad High Court and also as a Governor of West Bengal. He was appointed governor in May 1999 following the resignation of A R Kidwai and s ...

- Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court and Governor of West Bengal *

Anandamoy Bhattacharjee Anandamoy Bhattacharjee (20 December 1933 – 16 January 2008) was a Bengali Indian jurist, who served as the chief justice of the Calcutta High Court and the Bombay High Court between 1993 and 1995. He had also served as an acting chief justice ...

- Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, (Acting) Sikkim High Court and the Bombay High Court *

Anil Kumar Sen Anil Kumar Sen was a Bengali Indian jurist, who had served as chief justice of the Calcutta High Court. He was educated at the Scottish Church College, and at the University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calc ...

- Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court *

Sambhunath Banerjee Sambhunath Banerjee was a Bengali Indian scholar of law, and a judge of the Calcutta High Court, who served as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta. He was educated at the renowned Scottish Church College in Calcutta, and at the Univ ...

- Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court *

Dipankar Datta Dipankar Datta (born 9 February 1965) is a Judge of Supreme Court of India. He is the former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and Judge of Calcutta High Court. Early life and education Datta was born in 1965 in a Bengali family. He came fro ...

- Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court *

Sanjib Banerjee Sanjib Banerjee (born: 2 November 1961) is an Indian judge presently serving as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court. He has previously served as the Chief Justice of Madras High Court and a Judge in Calcutta High Court. Career Banerjee di ...

- Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court *

Biswanath Somadder Biswanath Somadder (born 15 December 1963) is an Indian Judge. Presently, he is Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court. He is former Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court. He is also former Judge of Allahabad High Court and Calcutta High Court. H ...

- Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court * Mukul Gopal Mukherjee - Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. * Samarendra Chandra Deb - Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court * Subhasis Talapatra - former acting Chief Justice of

Tripura High Court The Tripura High Court is the High Court of the state of Tripura. It was established on 23 March 2013, after making suitable amendments in the Constitution of India and North-Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) Act, 1971. The seat of the High Cou ...

* Debasish Kar Gupta - Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court

Attorney Generals

* Rafique Ul Huq - Attorney General of Bangladesh *

Niren De Niren De was an Indian Lawyer and was the Attorney General of India from November 1968 to March 1977 and it covered Indian Emergency. He was earlier the Solicitor General of India. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1974. He was also the Chairma ...

Attorney General of India The Attorney General for India is the Indian government's chief legal advisor, and is its chief advocate in the courts. They are appointed by the President of India at the instance of the Union Cabinet under Article 76(1) of the Constitution an ...

Politicians

* Siddhartha Shankar Ray - Lawyer, diplomat and Indian National Congress politician from West Bengal *

Biman Banerjee Biman Banerjee (born 28 December 1948) is an Indian politician who has been Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly since May 30, 2011. Being a member of All India Trinamool Congress, he is a sitting member of West Bengal Legislative As ...

- Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly since 2011 *

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Syama Prasad Mukherjee (6 July 1901 – 23 June 1953) was an Indian politician, barrister and academician, who served as India's first Minister for Industry and Supply (currently known as Ministry of Commerce and Industry) in Jawaharlal Nehru' ...

- Founder of the

Bhartiya Jana Sangh The Bharatiya Jana Sangh ( BJS or JS, short name: Jan Sangh, full name: Akhil Bharatiya Jana Sangh; ) (ISO 15919: '' Akhila Bhāratīya Jana Saṅgha '' ) was an Indian right wing political party that existed from 1951 to 1977 and was the pol ...

* Jogendra Nath Mandal - 1st

Minister for Law and Justice (Pakistan) The Law Minister of Pakistan heads the Ministry of Law and Justice. They serves in the cabinet of the Prime Minister. List of ministers *Jogendra Nath Mandal (1947–1951) *Pirzada Abdus Sattar Abdur Rahman (1951–1953) *A.K. Brohi (1953– ...

Azizul Haque Azizul Haque, ( ar , عزيز الحق ) meaning "strong in the truth", is a male Muslim given name. Notable bearers of the name include: *Qazi Azizul Haque (1872–1935), also Khan Bahadur Qazi Azizul Huq, Quazi Syed Azizul Haque, police officer a ...

Viceroy's Executive Council The Viceroy's Executive Council was the cabinet of the government of British India headed by the Viceroy of India. It is also known as the Council of the Governor-General of India. It was transformed from an advisory council into a cabinet consistin ...

member and Bengali Politician * Nirmal Chandra Chatterjee - Indian jurist and Parliamentarian * Amar Singh - Politician *

Asutosh Law Asutosh Law was an Indian politician and Lawyer. He was elected to the Lok Sabha, lower house of the Parliament of India from Dum Dum (Lok Sabha constituency), Dum Dum in 1984. He was a student of St. Xavier's College, Kolkata and later studied ...

- Lawyer and Politician *

Tathagata Roy Tathagata Roy (born 14 September 1945) is an Indian politician who served as the Governor of Tripura from 2015 to 2018 and the Governor of Meghalaya from August 2018 to the end of his term in August 2020. He was the 6th president of West Beng ...

- Politician * B. N. Banerjee - Parliamentarian * Bhaskar Choudhury - Indian politician from Meghalaya * Syed Abul Mansur Habibullah - Politician *

Durga Charan Banerjee Durga Charan Banerjee (1898-1952) was a Bengali-speaking Indian jurist and a member of parliament of the first Lok Sabha. Early life and education He was born to Anukul Charan Banerjee in Midnapore in January, 1898. He was educated at the Midnap ...

- Indian jurist and a member of parliament * Gopinath Bordoloi - first Chief Minister of Assam *

Pratap Chandra Chunder Pratap Chandra Chunder (1 September 1919 – 1 January 2008) was a union minister of India, educationist and author. He served in the Morarji Desai Ministry from 1977 to 1980 as a cabinet minister with education and social welfare portfolio ...

- Former Minister of education and social welfare portfolio *

- Bengali lawyer, writer, Politician and public servant *

Snehansu Kanta Acharya Snehangshu Kanta Acharya, Bar at Law (1 September 1913 – 27 August 1986) was an Advocate General of West Bengal, India and a political leader. Background and education He was the son of the Sashi Kanta Acharya Chaudhuri, a former Maharaja of Mym ...

- Lawyer and Politician *

Kamal Basu Kamal Basu (22 August 1918 – 21 January 2013) was a Bengali Indian politician who had served as a mayor of Calcutta, India between 1985 and 1990. Early life and education Born to a progressive family, that included his grandfather, barrister ...

- Politician

Others

* Protik Prakash Banerjee - Former Calcutta High Court Judge *

Haridas Bhattacharya Haridas Bhattacharyya (1891–1956) was a Bengali Indian philosopher, author and educationist, known for his works on comparative religion. Early life He was born in an orthodox Brahmin family on 7 November 1891, at Bhatpara, West Bengal to Pand ...

- Bengali Indian philosopher, author and educationist *

Soumitra Sen Soumitra Sen is a former judge of the Calcutta High Court. He was the first judge in independent India whose removal motion was passed in Rajya Sabha for misappropriation of funds. History He was born on 22 January 1958. He passed the High Scho ...

- former judge of the Calcutta High Court. *

Birinchi Kumar Barua Birinchi Kumar Barua (16 October 1908 in Puranigudam, Nagaon, Assam, India – 30 March 1964) was a folklorist, scholar, novelist, playwright, historian, linguist, educationist, administrator and eminent 20th century littérateur of Assam, with ...

- folklorist, scholar, novelist, playwright, historian, linguist, educationist, administrator *

Nares Chandra Sen-Gupta Naresh Chandra Sen-Gupta (17 May 1882 – 19 September 1964) was an Indian legal scholar and a novelist of Bengali literature based in Calcutta. Early life and career Sen-Gupta was born into a Baidya Brahmin family on 17 May 1882 at his patern ...

- Legal scholar and Bengali novelist

References

University of Calcutta affiliates Educational institutions established in 1909 Law schools in West Bengal 1909 establishments in British India