FOCUS 2026 – International Conference

FOCUS 2026 – International Conference

Fostering Constitutional Understanding in Sovereign States
Faculty of Law, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai
6–7 February 2026

The Faculty of Law, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai successfully organized the International Conference on “Fostering Constitutional Understanding in Sovereign States (FOCUS 2026)” on 6th and 7th February 2026. The conference brought together distinguished academicians, legal professionals, and scholars to discuss contemporary developments in constitutionalism.

Day 1 – 06.02.2026

The post-lunch plenary sessions were hosted by Ms. Sushmitha Keren and Ms. Harinisree S., students of the Faculty of Law.

Plenary Session I

The National Keynote Speaker, Prof. Dr. S. Shanthakumar, Director, Gujarat National Law University, was introduced by Asst. Prof. Mrs. N. Uma Chitra, Faculty of Law, and felicitated by Prof. G. C. Kothandan, Executive Director (Legal).

In his address titled “Beyond the Bench – Democratization of Constitutional Knowledge,” he emphasized the shift from legal constitutionalism to popular constitutionalism, stressing that the Constitution should empower people rather than remain solely within judicial interpretation. He highlighted people-driven constitutional movements such as the RTI Movement, Self-Respect Movement, and Tamil Nadu’s reservation policy, and encouraged the younger generation to actively sustain constitutional awareness.

The session concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Asst. Prof. Mahimaa Jain, Faculty of Law, followed by the felicitation of advocates from Lincoln Global Law Chambers, one of the chief sponsors.

Plenary Session II

The International Keynote Speaker, Dr. Valentina Volpe, Associate Professor, Université Catholique de Lille, France, was introduced by Asst. Prof. Mrs. D. Sarala, Faculty of Law.

Her address focused on constitutionalizing international law, using the Venice Commission as a case study. She discussed its origin, mandate, and its role in strengthening constitutional governance across regions. She also highlighted the European Convention on Human Rights as a key framework reinforcing the primacy of international law.

The session concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Asst. Prof. Mrs. D. Vijayalakshmi, Faculty of Law.

Plenary Session III

The International Keynote Speaker, Dr. Stuart Marslen, International Lawyer and Visiting Professor (Law), University of Johannesburg, United Kingdom, delivered his address virtually and was introduced by Asst. Prof. Mrs. M. Sindhuja, Faculty of Law.

His presentation titled “Fundamental Human Rights in Constitutional Instruments” discussed the right to life, freedom from torture, and freedom of peaceful assembly, emphasizing the responsibility of states to safeguard these rights and ensure effective investigative mechanisms.

The session concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Asst. Prof. Ms. L. Ranjitha, Faculty of Law.

With this, the Day 1 plenary sessions concluded successfully.

Day 2 – 07.02.2026

The second day comprised five plenary sessions, five technical sessions, and a valedictory session.

Plenary Session IV

The session was delivered by Dr. Saslina Kamaruddin, Senior Lecturer, Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia, who was introduced by Asst. Prof. Ms. G. Saraswathy, Faculty of Law. Her address focused on sovereignty, ethics, and the future of AI regulation. The session concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Asst. Prof. Ms. Sirisha, Faculty of Law.

Following this, Dr. C. E. Pratap, Public Prosecutor and Government Advocate (Criminal Side), Madras High Court, who served as Panel Chair of Technical Session VI, was felicitated. He was introduced by Bhuvana S., BA LL.B. 2nd Year, and spoke on the harmonization of constitutional and international law. The session concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Kaviya, LL.B. 2nd Year.

Technical Sessions

Five technical sessions were conducted simultaneously at the Seminar Hall (Architecture Block), Smart Classroom 1, Smart Classroom 2, and Banquet Hall, featuring paper presentations by students, scholars, and academicians on diverse constitutional themes.

Plenary Session VII

The session was delivered by Dr. Dato Mary Lim Thiam Suan, Director, Asian International Arbitration Center, Malaysia, and introduced by Asst. Prof. Mrs. Sunita Malick. She emphasized that the rule of law must prevail over the rule of might. The session concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Asst. Prof. Ms. Azhagiya Meena, Faculty of Law.

Plenary Session VIII

The keynote address was delivered by Dr. G. Jaya Gowry, Principal, Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Pudupakkam, and she was introduced by Asst. Prof. Mrs. Kamala Priya. Her speech focused on the basic features of constitutionalism and transformative constitutionalism. The session concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Asst. Prof. Ms. Keerthana, Faculty of Law.

Final Plenary Session

The final plenary session was delivered by Dr. Marcos Augusto Maliska, introduced by Asst. Prof. Mrs. Jermy Sudhanthira J. His address focused on defending sovereignty in the digital environment and the coexistence of sovereign and autonomous law in the digital domain. The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Asst. Prof. Mrs. Mahimaa Jain.

Valedictory Session

The valedictory session was hosted by Asst. Prof. Mrs. Harinishree and began with the Welcome Address by Mrs. R. Shalini, Deputy HOD, Faculty of Law.

The Valedictory Address was delivered by Dr. Valentina Volpe, who emphasized the importance of preserving constitutional values. Dr. Pankaja presented the Key Takeaways of the Conference, followed by the Best Paper and Best Presenter Awards.

The session concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Asst. Prof. Mr. Kishore and the National Anthem.