M’lorean becomes member of Law Commission of India

DHNS
Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 11 August 2010: List of members of 19th Law Commission of India constituted recently has someone familiar for Dakshina Kannada district. The only woman part-time member of the Commission, Dr Shashikala Gurupur Murphy is a Mangalorean and needs no introduction in academic and intellectual circles here.

 

Shashikala hails from Gurupur village near Mangalore and is born in renowned Golidadiguthu family of Gurupur. At the helm of affairs of Symbiosis International Law School, she calls the shots as the Director of the Institute.  After completing her early education in Mangalore and a BSc degree from Mangalore University, she secured LLM degree (International Law) from Mysore University.

 

She had her PhD in International Law from Mysore University in 2002, writing history as first woman to secure PhD in 50 years’ history of the university.  The law commission appointed Shashikala after several rounds of deliberations and through terms of references of the 19th Law Commission. The terms of reference include review or repeal of obsolete laws, law and poverty, review of judicial administration, examination of existing laws in the light of Directive Principles of State Policy, promotion of gender equality and others.

 

Speaking to City Herald, Dr Shashikala said that she has been in teaching profession since 1992 and has worked in various issues pertaining to gender equality, women’s issues, tribal issues and issues related to farm labour and this new responsibility has come as a rare opportunity to work for the country from closer quarters.

 

Married to an Irish professor Tim Murphy, Shashikala has doctorate in international law with 15 years of graduate and postgraduate teaching, advocacy and research experience along with around 3 years of corporate and legal advisory experience.

 

At present, she is focusing on Pirangut village to make it a litigation-free village, following her decision to adopt the village in collaboration with City University of New York School of Law, USA and set up a Legal Aid Centre in Pirangut Village. 

 

Despite being an academician of international repute, with hundreds of publications to her credit, Dr Shashikala is attached to her soil and roots. This teacher par excellence is undoubtedly the master in her field but she can astound anyone with her knowledge on literature, Tulunadu and its culture. At present she lives in Pune with her son Nishthula.