Nicholas Robinson

Mr. Robinson plans to research the way in which the Indian Supreme Court has taken on a quasi-legislative role in cases concerning social and economic rights. In recent years, the Indian Supreme Court has set down specific guidelines on sexual harassment, child labor, levels of noise pollution and especially the right to food. Focusing on this last initiative, Mr. Robinson will investigate how the Court has become a quasi-legislative entity. Through research at JNU, field observations on the implementation of the right to food orders in 4-5 Indian states and clerking at the Supreme Court, Mr. Robinson hopes to gain a full understanding of this complex issue. In particular, he will focus on the implementation of and compliance to the program. He contends that understanding the best venues for implementation can have useful repercussions throughout the developing world, where economic and social rights can be difficult to enforce.