from Computer Science to Law

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a scientist. My dream was to have my own library of books and have a lab where I could do my experiments. I achieved this dream, not wholly but in substantial measure. In PRAVAK, I had a large volume of books, including eBooks, and space to tinker and make new machines.

Once I started running a company, I realized how difficult it is for an entrepreneur to run a business. As I encountered law after law, rules after rules, I realized that something that is supposed to act as a facilitator can also become an impediment; I was busy running a company and raising my family and took these as normal hurdles in business.

Once, we had to import DC motors. The Customs Officer said I had to pay a duty of 160%. I checked up the tariff tables and sure enough, DC motors attracted 160% duty, and hey wait, DC generators could be imported by paying only 60% duty. As an engineer, it struck me as very odd. A DC generator and a DC motor are the same thing. In a motor, you put in electricity at the terminals and the shaft rotates. In a generator, you rotate the shaft, and it generates power. I tried to convince the commissioner that they were the same thing, and hence two different duty rates were not proper. But no, he was not convinced. I was annoyed and compelled to pay the higher duty. However, I told him that the next time, I import this item, I will import it as a DC generator. He scoffed at the idea, and I could even sense a warning in his expression. A few years later, when we had to import again, I found that the Governement had change the duty rates and now both motors and generaters attracted 60%. That was my first brush with the law — something was arbitrary and unfair, but it could be changed. A few years later, our Company was raided by the Excise Department. I knew that my Company was small enough not to be liable for Excise Duty, and knowing the law allowed me to plead my case to my favour.

Nowadays, Law cannot be studied by correspondence. When my children were done with school, I starting thinking about studying law. PRAVAK was going full swing. 2010-2020 were very busy and productive years for us. Even though I wanted to pursue law I could not attend a college. Now that I am slowing down, partly aided by the Covid years, day to day operations are tapering; I am playing more mentorship roles and enaging in consulting work, all of which is being done online.

A few months ago, I discovered a law college nearby. Over the phone, the Admissions Counsellor was aghast that someone as old(?) >66years, wanted to seek admission and was adamant that I cannot join. I had filled an online form, and I was called by another person. I asked to speak to the Dean. She told me to come over to the College. Next day, at the reception, I said ” I have come for admission, and wish to meet the Dean”. The receptionist picked up the phone and said “A parent has come for admission”. I clarified that I was not the parent, but the student seeking admission. Eyes rolled; yet the damage had been done. The call to the Dean had gone through, and she asked me to come over to her office.

The Dean was a young person (like my daughter). She asked me why I wanted to study law. I told her that we were the first company to make robots and indigenize defence equipment . In this process, I learned that law pervades every aspect of human life. As a computer person I know that computers pervade every aspect of human life. I encountered many laws while running a company: taxes, import, disputes, contracts. I bought an apartment and there was a litigation, and I discovered the Real Estate Regulation Authority. I used the Right To Information Law. In this way, I learned how law pervades the entire fabric of society.

I also realized that law is very similar to computer science — laws follow the concept of classes, derived classes, syntax (rules), special cases, limits and validity. I started thinking about it from the point of view of the designer — who makes the laws. Just like we get bugs in software, because it is not possible to predict every case, similar is the case while making a new law. Fault tolerant systems design is very similar to drafting a good law.

Now that my children are married and settled, I would like to give back. I see injustice all around me. Food programs not reaching the hungry person. Education programs not reaching the child who needs to go to school. There is no one to help. The person can’t approach a lawyer because there are fees involved. I would like to be able to help without the need to make money from the service, and for that I needed to study law.

Our legal system says that I can fight my own case, but I can’t fight for someone else unless I am a lawyer. So to help, I must get certified. She seemed convinced, and granted me admission.

There is no age limit to practice law. Recently, a judge of the supreme court retired (yes, judges have a retirement age) and then started practicing as a lawyer again. So I could be an old lawyer and still help.

After my admission, as part of the uniform, I got a black coat, black pants, white shirts. I realized what a uniform means. It gets you access into courts, eventually.

A few decades back, literacy meant the three R’s, reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic. To these was added computeRs. In today’s world, I am of the opinion that a basic study of Law should become a part of the literacy curicullum. Knowledge of Law and its application, both as a governing device, and a means to attain the objectives of social justice, equity and equality is extremely desirable. What do you say?