In the current scenario, when technology has become an indispensable aspect of human life and in the midst of this global pandemic when technology seems more essential than ever before, Mr. Malcolm Dowden addressed the students of Indore Institute of Law on the impact of technology and its affect on the future of legal practice.

A graduate of Oxford University and having an experience of 26 years in legal profession, Mr. Dowden who is based in the United Kingdom shed light on the increasing dependence and development with regard to technology and the role played by it in the dispute resolution process all over the world.

The session was attended by a total of 180 students who were exposed to multitude of topics in relation to technological development and technology law. A detailed discussion on the impact of increasing e-commerce activities, the plausibility of entering legal binding agreements over technical portals and the possible lacunas to be addressed in this regard was undertaken.

On being asked on the feasibility of the Indian Contracts Act, 1857 in the present situation and its capability of sustaining in a technological world, Mr. Dowden opined that certainly there will be a need of review and revision in the existing provision. The students sought clarification on the impact of force majeure clause in the midst of Covid-19 and the extents of commercial litigation we may be witnessing post the lockdown.

The discussion moved further to the Sri Krishna Committee Report on Data Protection Law of India and the correlation of the same with the GDPR of UK.

The session was an elaborated discussion on some very contemporary topics like the merger between facebook and jio communications and the implication of the same on data privacy. The block chain technology regime and the increasing cyber crimes. The students and the speaker delved in discussion on a diverse range of topics and it was insight in a rapidly developing area of law which becomes more and more relevant with the passage of time.

On being asked if the technical and online legal information impacts the working for legal professional; Mr. Dowden replied with a smile “Do not confused your google search with my law degree” making it plenty clear that the technology can facilitate the legal profession but the mind of the lawyer will always be the rare resource.

We are thankful for his insight and valuable time for the session.