Lily Thomas and Saju Jakob, Advocates and Solicitors, the law office of Advocate Lily Thomas, has decided to mark her fourth death anniversary by announcing the fourth edition of its Essay Writing Competition, having prize money up to Rs 75,000.

Organised with the aim to impart the importance of constitutional morality and values in public life, the Essay Competition 2023 would have three topics:

1. Expanding contours of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its effects on the Right to Privacy
2. An analysis of “The importance of Basic Structure Doctrine”: In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the landmark judgement ‘Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala’
3. Integrity and Ethics in the Legal Profession a must

A statement issued by the Lily Thomas and Saju Jakob, Advocates and Solicitors said that under Topic 1 (Expanding contours of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its effects on the Right to Privacy), the participants were required to provide their perspective on the privacy laws and legal developments relating to artificial intelligence at both the national and international level.

It said the abstract and essay should be combined into one document with no co-authorship. Multiple entries from the same author as well as submission on more than one topic were not allowed.

The participants should write the complete name of the topic in the subject line of the e-mail. A separate cover page should be attached to the e-mail containing the essay, along with the writer’s name, address, date of birth and an undertaking stating that the essay was original.

The entries should be sent on the e-mail [email protected] latest by 23:45 hrs IST of November 30. The essays along with the abstract should be submitted in either Word or PDF format. Submissions received after the deadline would not be considered, while hand written essays would also not be accepted, it added.

Results would be announced on December 15, 2023, during the Memorial Lecture. All the participants were mandated to attend the Memorial Lecture. Details of the event would be uploaded later on website www.lilythomas.net

As per the statement, participants having queries couldwrite an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject “Query for Essay Writing Competition” or contact the office at 919667661678.

It said the right to privacy was a distinct and independent fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Privacy encompassed the body and mind, including decisions, choices, information and freedom.

It quoted Chief Justice of India Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud in the case of K. S. Puttaswamy, wherein the CJI said that privacy was concomitant with the right of the individual to exercise control over his or her personality. It found an origin in the notion that there were certain rights, which were natural to or inherent in a human being.

Natural rights were inalienable because they were inseparable from the human personality. The human element in life was impossible to conceive without the existence of natural rights, noted the statement.

It said the legal profession was a noble profession. There were times when lawyers were portrayed as crusaders for justice and at other times, in the opposite light.

Recently, the CJI had stated that all people slept with their conscience. A person could fool the whole world but not his/her conscience. It kept on asking questions every night.

He further said that integrity was the core of the legal profession. With integrity, a person could either continue to survive or lead himself/herself to self-destruction.

Justice V.R. Krishna lyer had once said that law was not a trade, not briefs, not merchandise, and so the heaven of commercial competition should not vulgarise the legal profession.

In the words of Alan K. Simpson, if a person had integrity, nothing else mattered. If he didn’t have integrity, nothing else mattered.

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