01-09-2005, 08:08 AM
<b>Dual citizenship has serious lacunae: Sorabjee</b>
Saturday, 08 January , 2005, 22:25
Mumbai: The dual citizenship has serious lacunae that needed to be sorted out, former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee opined at a session on `Private International Law and the Diaspora.
"If we want to involve the diaspora then we canât deny them right to vote or the right to occupy important offices," Sorabjee said and added that things in this regard needs to be made clearer.
He was chairing the session attended by eminent lawyers, judges and law professors.
Sorabjee said that the country also needs to evolve laws over custody of children in case of divorce and needs to address the domicile and citizenship issues.
The gathering came up with a common consensus on the need for a comprehensive enactment to deal with violations especially in marriages, divorce and child custody cases.
Agreeing with Sorabjee, Justice K Sukumaran, chairman, committee on reviewing the working the of immigration act accepted that the lacunas existed and said the problems of enforceability of judgements pronounced in Indian courts primarily exists in case of countries which are not reciprocal in dual citizenship.
Additional Solicitor General B A Desai said that the concept of domicile was one thing that needed attention as India has different concepts at state and federal level.
"It can be divisive," he said while accepting that this canât be removed overnight.
He said that the dual citizenship would be more useful for the next generation which seems to be losing touch with its cultures and traditions. He said that it would make the cultural assimilation easier for the next generation.
He also said that there was a need for an university to meet the needs of the NRIs.
Saturday, 08 January , 2005, 22:25
Mumbai: The dual citizenship has serious lacunae that needed to be sorted out, former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee opined at a session on `Private International Law and the Diaspora.
"If we want to involve the diaspora then we canât deny them right to vote or the right to occupy important offices," Sorabjee said and added that things in this regard needs to be made clearer.
He was chairing the session attended by eminent lawyers, judges and law professors.
Sorabjee said that the country also needs to evolve laws over custody of children in case of divorce and needs to address the domicile and citizenship issues.
The gathering came up with a common consensus on the need for a comprehensive enactment to deal with violations especially in marriages, divorce and child custody cases.
Agreeing with Sorabjee, Justice K Sukumaran, chairman, committee on reviewing the working the of immigration act accepted that the lacunas existed and said the problems of enforceability of judgements pronounced in Indian courts primarily exists in case of countries which are not reciprocal in dual citizenship.
Additional Solicitor General B A Desai said that the concept of domicile was one thing that needed attention as India has different concepts at state and federal level.
"It can be divisive," he said while accepting that this canât be removed overnight.
He said that the dual citizenship would be more useful for the next generation which seems to be losing touch with its cultures and traditions. He said that it would make the cultural assimilation easier for the next generation.
He also said that there was a need for an university to meet the needs of the NRIs.