[The following is an announcement from the Chief Editor, National Law School of India Review]

The National Law School of India Review, the flagship journal of National Law School of India University, Bangalore is pleased to present the second NLSIR Public Law Symposium to be held on 22 December, 2012 at the National Law School campus. Last year, the editorial board of NLSIR spearheaded the first edition of the Public Law Symposium on the “Adjudication of Socio-Economic Rights by the Supreme Court of India” in an effort to initiate a systematic study of public law jurisprudence in India. The theme of the symposium this year is “Delimiting Media Freedoms: Discovering the ‘Delicate Balance’ Between Article 19 and Article 21“, an issue which has seen significant legal developments in the recent past. For this project, we are collaborating with the Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore. The symposium shall field opinions from the judiciary, practising lawyers, the media and students, and will be attended by renowned luminaries including Justice Muralidhar (Delhi High Court), Geeta Seshu (The Hoot), Apar Gupta (Partner, Advani & Co.), amongst others.

The discussion will be divided into two sessions. In the first session (scheduled between 10.30 A.M.-12.30 P.M.) the panel will discuss the right to privacy and the problems posed by its uncertain ambit of protection under Article 21. Questions regarding the balance between the right to privacy and the media’s purported objective to protect public interest as well as the standards of privacy enjoyable by public figures together with the development of procedural innovations globally will constitute an important part of the discussion. The second session (scheduled between 1.30 P.M.-3.30 P.M.) will focus on the controversial subject of ‘trial by media’ and the propriety of the judiciary governing the content of media reports through instruments such as the recently invoked ‘doctrine of postponement’. Lunch and refreshments will be provided by the Organizing Committee.