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 fou ...

, 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 collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, ...

Ashutosh Mukherjee 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 Sir Surendranath Banerjee often known as Rashtraguru ( bn, Rāṣṭraguru, Teacher of the Nation; 10 November 18486 August 1925) was Indian nationalist leader during the British Rule. He founded a nationalist organization called the Indian Nat ...

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 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 Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) was an Indian politician, lawyer, Indian independence activist, journalist & scholar who served as the first president of Republic of India from 1950 to 1962. He joined the Indian Nationa ...

- 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 Mur ...

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 ʻAbd al-Sattār (ALA-LC romanization of ar, عبد الستّار) is an Arabic Muslim male given name, built on the Arabic words '' ʻabd'' and ''al-Sattār''. The name means "servant of the Veiler (of sins)". Because the letter s is a sun lett ...

President of Bangladesh The president of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রপতি — ) officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশে ...

and

Interior Minister of Pakistan Interior may refer to: Arts and media * ''Interior'' (Degas) (also known as ''The Rape''), painting by Edgar Degas * ''Interior'' (play), 1895 play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck * ''The Interior'' (novel), by Lisa See * Interior de ...

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 19 ...

- First

Chief Justice of Bangladesh The chief justice of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের প্রধান বিচারপতি — ) is the chief amongst the judges of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and also head of the whole judicial establishments, inclu ...

and

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 and Federal Minister

Prime Ministers

* A. K. Fazlul Huq - 1st Prime Minister of Bengal and

* B. P. Koirala - First democratically elected

prime minister of Nepal The Prime Minister of Nepal ( ne, नेपालको प्रधानमन्त्री) is the head of government of Nepal. The Prime Minister is the head of the Council of Ministers of Nepal and the chief adviser to the President of ...

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. H ...

- 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 Pa ...

and 1st Vice President

Chief Justices

* Bijan Kumar Mukherjea - 4th Chief Justice of India *

Sudhi Ranjan Das Sudhi Ranjan Das (1 October 1894 – 18 September 1977) was the 5th Chief Justice of India, serving from 1 February 1956 to 30 September 1959. Das also served as chairman of '' The Statesman''. Background and education S.R. Das was born in ...

- 5th Chief Justice of India * Amal Kumar Sarkar - 8th Chief Justice of India *

Altamas Kabir Altamas Kabir (19 July 1948 – 19 February 2017) was an Indian lawyer and judge who served as the 39th Chief Justice of India. Early life and education Altamas Kabir was born in Calcutta in 1948 to a Bengali Muslim family from the district of ...

- 39th Chief Justice of India * Fazal Akbar - 6th Chief Justice of Pakistan * Kemaluddin Hossain - 3rd

Supreme Court Judges and other luminaries

* Pinaki Chandra Ghose - First

Lokpal A Lokpal ( sa, लोकपाल ''lokapāla'', "defender of people" or "People's Friend") is an anti-corruption authority or body of ombudsman who represents the public interest in the Republic of India. The current Chairperson of Lokpal is Pra ...

and Judge of the Supreme Court of India. *

Indira Banerjee Indira Banerjee (born 24 September 1957) is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India and the eighth female judge in history of Supreme Court. Previously, she served as chief justice of the Madras High Court, the second woman to hold the posi ...

- Sitting Judge in the Supreme Court of India *

Radhabinod Pal Radhabinod Pal (27 January 1886 – 10 January 1967) was an Indian jurist who was a member of the United Nations' International Law Commission from 1952 to 1966. He was one of three Asian judges appointed to the International Military Tribunal ...

- 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 - Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India *

Ganendra Narayan Ray Ganendra Narayan Ray (born 1 May 1933) is a Bengali people, 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 th ...

- Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India and chief justice of the Gujarat High Court * Alak Chandra Gupta - Former Judge in the Supreme Court of India * 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 The Governor of West Bengal is the nominal head of state of the Indian state of West Bengal and a representative of the President of India. The governor is appointed by the president for a term of five years. His official residence is the Raj ...

* Anandamoy Bhattacharjee - 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 - Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court * Dipankar Datta - 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 - 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 Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

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 Siddhartha Shankar Ray (20 October 1920 – 6 November 2010) was an Indian lawyer, diplomat and Indian National Congress politician from West Bengal. In his political career he held a number of offices, including Union Minister of Education (1 ...

- Lawyer, diplomat and Indian National Congress politician from West Bengal * Biman Banerjee - 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 *

Jogendra Nath Mandal Jogendranath Mandal (Bengali: যোগেন্দ্রনাথ মন্ডল; 29 January 1904 – 5 October 1968), was one of the founding fathers of modern state of Pakistan, and legislator serving as country's first minister of law and ...

- 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 -

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 Nirmal Chandra Chatterjee (1895–1971/72) was an Indian politician & jurist who served as a judge at the Calcutta High Court & Also was an elected member of Loksabha from Bengal. He served as the vice president of the Supreme Court Bar Assoc ...

- Indian jurist and Parliamentarian * Amar Singh - Politician * Asutosh Law - 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 Ben ...

- 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 Midna ...

- Indian jurist and a member of parliament *

Gopinath Bordoloi Gopinath Bordoloi (6 June 1890 – 5 August 1950) was a politician and Indian independence activist who served as the first Chief Minister of Assam. He was a follower of the Gandhian principle of non-violence as a political tool. Due to his un ...

- 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 portfoli ...

- Former Minister of education and social welfare portfolio * Azizul Haque - Bengali lawyer, writer, Politician and public servant * Snehansu Kanta Acharya - 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 Protik Prakash Banerjee (1 June 1969 – 3 July 2020) was an additional Judge of the Calcutta High Court. Early life Banerjee studied in Calcutta Boys' School and completed his legal education from Hazra Law College in 1994. His father Mukul Pr ...

- 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 - 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