24 Feb :The Department of Laws, Panjab University organized a special lecture today i.e. on 24th February, 2009 at 5.30 p.m. The guest speaker was Mr. Hassan Fancy, who is the Managing Barrister at Fancy Barristers P.C., and a specialist in civil litigation.
Mr. Fancy is also an author of “Demonstrative Advocacy : Understanding and Constraining Partiality in Adjudication”. Mr. Fancy delivered lecture on “Constraining Bias : Bridging the Sciences with the Law”. Mr. Fancy referring to the observations of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Douglas of the U.S. Supreme Court observed that judges are not fungible and judge’s emphasis may make a world of difference when it comes to ruling on evidence and the like.
Mr. Fancy explained that Bias exists in every person. It is based on the person’s life experience and is the reason why adjudicators are not fungible. Life experience in cognitive psychology is known as ‘schemata’ and in neuroscience as “memory”. The unique life experiences of judges, including their education, are often their best qualifications to enter the judiciary. However, it is equally true that a judge’s “life experience” is not evidence in any proceeding. Yet those experiences have a significant impact on all hearings because of how language based evidence is comprehended by judges (and jurors). Justice is blind but not to its own biases. The problem though is not the well intentioned judges; it’s the evidence.
Prof. P.S. Jaswal, Chairman, Department of Laws introduced the Guest Speaker of the day and Prof. Shashi K. Sharma proposed a vote of thanks. The function was also attended by the Dean Faculty of Law Mr. G.K. Chatrath and the faculty and students of LL.B. 3 years and B.A. LL.B. 5 Years course.