Satvinder Juss is a Professor of Law at King’s College London and a Barrister.

'India’s Courts have developed an enviable human rights jurisprudence admired throughout the world. At the same time, it has a questionable human rights record on ground realities. This is not a dichotomy but, like so many nations, India has a bi-focal ability, to perceive the ground realities as a state of ‘being’ and its normative jurisprudence as a state of ‘becoming.’ This anthology does not seek to expose but remind us of this mighty dissonance. Perhaps, some but, not all courts, were more vigilant in their concerns to evolve a masterly jurisprudence despite the compromises inherent in India’s Constitution. Even so cruel human rights absurdities persist. These essays take us to national security massively trumping rights, the parallel ‘legal’ system of khap panchayats (caste communities) severely punishing people, the legal mimicry of the Gujarat and other riots, the increasing lawlessness, acid attacks, forest rights, the wayward law on death penalty, the water crisis and the shadow of the World Bank on India’s economy. I put this book down with a sadness that I had reached the end, but spirited by the hope that more books like this will be written.'- Dr Rajeev Dhavan, supreme court lawyer, New Delhi

• Part One Arudra Burra - Civil liberties in the early constitution: the CrossRoads and Organiser cases Rajgopal Saikumar - The constitutional politics of judicial review and the Supreme Court’s human rights discourse Surabhi Chopra - Securing rights, protecting the nation?: national security and the Indian Supreme Court Siddharth Peter de Souza - India’s parallel justice systems: engaging with Lok Adalats, Gram Nyayalayas, Nari Adalats and Khap Panchayats through human rightsPart Two Satvinder Juss - Unconstitutionalising India’s death penalty Oishik Sircar - Gujarat 2002: refracted memories, inadequate images Robert Wintemute - Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights in India: from Naz Foundation to Navtej Singh Johar and beyond Sital Kalantry and Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum - Acid attacks in India: the case for state and corporate cccountability for gender-based crimes Part Three Raminder Kaur - The right for rights: the lawful and the lawless in India Rajshree Chandra - India’s Forest Rights Act: righting indigeneity, subverting property Philipe Cullet - The human right to water: a testing ground for neoliberal policies Bhumika Modh and Uma Mahesh Sathyanarayan - Realising human rights obligations of the World Bank in India: a human rights critique of the World Bank Country Partnership Strategy for India (2013-17)

Satvinder Juss is a Professor of Law at King’s College London and a Barrister.

'India’s Courts have developed an enviable human rights jurisprudence admired throughout the world. At the same time, it has a questionable human rights record on ground realities. This is not a dichotomy but, like so many nations, India has a bi-focal ability, to perceive the ground realities as a state of ‘being’ and its normative jurisprudence as a state of ‘becoming.’ This anthology does not seek to expose but remind us of this mighty dissonance. Perhaps, some but, not all courts, were more vigilant in their concerns to evolve a masterly jurisprudence despite the compromises inherent in India’s Constitution. Even so cruel human rights absurdities persist. These essays take us to national security massively trumping rights, the parallel ‘legal’ system of khap panchayats (caste communities) severely punishing people, the legal mimicry of the Gujarat and other riots, the increasing lawlessness, acid attacks, forest rights, the wayward law on death penalty, the water crisis and the shadow of the World Bank on India’s economy. I put this book down with a sadness that I had reached the end, but spirited by the hope that more books like this will be written.'- Dr Rajeev Dhavan, supreme court lawyer, New Delhi

• Part One Arudra Burra - Civil liberties in the early constitution: the CrossRoads and Organiser cases Rajgopal Saikumar - The constitutional politics of judicial review and the Supreme Court’s human rights discourse Surabhi Chopra - Securing rights, protecting the nation?: national security and the Indian Supreme Court Siddharth Peter de Souza - India’s parallel justice systems: engaging with Lok Adalats, Gram Nyayalayas, Nari Adalats and Khap Panchayats through human rightsPart Two Satvinder Juss - Unconstitutionalising India’s death penalty Oishik Sircar - Gujarat 2002: refracted memories, inadequate images Robert Wintemute - Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights in India: from Naz Foundation to Navtej Singh Johar and beyond Sital Kalantry and Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum - Acid attacks in India: the case for state and corporate cccountability for gender-based crimes Part Three Raminder Kaur - The right for rights: the lawful and the lawless in India Rajshree Chandra - India’s Forest Rights Act: righting indigeneity, subverting property Philipe Cullet - The human right to water: a testing ground for neoliberal policies Bhumika Modh and Uma Mahesh Sathyanarayan - Realising human rights obligations of the World Bank in India: a human rights critique of the World Bank Country Partnership Strategy for India (2013-17)