Session 4: The Current Economic Crisis

This week's Forum will look at the current economic crisis. We will focus on the need for, and structure of, legal regulation in dealing with the economic situation, and will evaluate the response of both the government as well as the courts in this respect. We will also use this context to examine the impact of the Great Depression, and the New Deal that followed, on Amercian and Indian constitutional law and theory. In light of these discussions, we will debate the approach of the Indian Supreme Court to the regulation of economic activity and will evaluate the jurisprudence of the Court in areas like environmental and labour regulation. Unlike the previous sessions, there is no single legal text that captures these issues. Hence, we will be reading the following pieces for the Forum meeting:

1. Philip Wood, Can the law prevent another financial crisis?

2. David P. Currie, Constitution in the Supreme Court: The New Deal, 1931-1940, 54 U. Chi. L. Rev. 504 (available on Westlaw)

3. Sunita Narain, Our Quality of Mercy

Issues for discussion will be up by Wednesday.