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Hon’ble Mr Justice Bernard<strong>in</strong> Renaud,Judge Supreme Court <strong>of</strong> Seychelles be<strong>in</strong>ghonoured at <strong>the</strong> Reception organisedby Supreme Court Bar Association atNew Delhiguid<strong>in</strong>g light and a great source <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>spiration to <strong>the</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g countries <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world <strong>in</strong><strong>the</strong>ir quest towards self determ<strong>in</strong>ation. We rec<strong>all</strong> <strong>the</strong> beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> march towards <strong>the</strong><strong>in</strong>dependence <strong>of</strong> India and how absurd it was for so many people at that time to be ableto visualize and appreciate <strong>the</strong> practicability <strong>of</strong> India ever achiev<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> goal <strong>of</strong><strong>in</strong>dependence from Great Brita<strong>in</strong>. The process that started <strong>in</strong>iti<strong>all</strong>y as a thought, as anidea, which at that time appeared to be so farfetched and which could be dimly visualizedand enterta<strong>in</strong>ed by many as a realizable objective. It had a very humble beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g butwith time it ga<strong>the</strong>red momentum supported by unwaver<strong>in</strong>g determ<strong>in</strong>ation andperseverance, always focus<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> f<strong>in</strong>al objective ra<strong>the</strong>r than on <strong>the</strong> means and <strong>the</strong>road lead<strong>in</strong>g to that objective,-that vision became a reality for India. That event caused<strong>the</strong> nations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world that were still be<strong>in</strong>g colonized, to awake to <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> anew achievable reality. Hence, we see that <strong>the</strong> first steps <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> flow that followed lead<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> emancipation <strong>of</strong> so manynations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world. All started humbly at <strong>the</strong> beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g and it ga<strong>the</strong>red momentum over <strong>the</strong> last 50 year and today we havea new world landscape.I have slightly digressed from <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>me <strong>of</strong> this Conference, to emphasize a po<strong>in</strong>t. That is, it is <strong>in</strong> that same spirit, and with<strong>the</strong> same vision and foresightedness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> founders <strong>of</strong> India, that conv<strong>in</strong>ced me that <strong>the</strong> modest start we have nowembarked upon will, before long, produce amaz<strong>in</strong>g results beyond our expectations.I am not an expert <strong>in</strong> International law and I nei<strong>the</strong>r pr<strong>of</strong>ess to be an em<strong>in</strong>ent jurist. But what I believe and have no doubtabout, is that <strong>the</strong>re is a necessity to review and revisit our approaches to <strong>in</strong>ternational law and its scope <strong>in</strong> fur<strong>the</strong>r<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>onward march <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world towards last<strong>in</strong>g peace and unity. The world that our children will <strong>in</strong>herit will be a better anddifferent environment that it is today if we do not fail <strong>in</strong> struggl<strong>in</strong>g feverishly to change <strong>the</strong> face <strong>of</strong> this earth by start<strong>in</strong>g today.It is not my <strong>in</strong>tention to make an analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> situation exist<strong>in</strong>g around <strong>the</strong> world today. We <strong>all</strong> know about it. Butterrorism; abuse <strong>of</strong> children’s and women’s rights <strong>in</strong> <strong>all</strong> sorts <strong>of</strong> ways; unjust <strong>in</strong>ternational trad<strong>in</strong>g system; abuse <strong>of</strong> basichuman rights; <strong>the</strong> belief that might is right, and so on and so forth.It is common knowledge that <strong>in</strong>formation technology has advanced so much that is has caused this world to be what wetoday c<strong>all</strong> a global village. This has facilitated <strong>in</strong>ternational relations and mutual understand<strong>in</strong>g among leaders <strong>of</strong> variousnations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world. If only this relationship and understand<strong>in</strong>g could now be extended to encompass clearly set out lawsthat would be evenly applied <strong>in</strong> such relationship, I th<strong>in</strong>k that this world would soon be tread<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> right direction.The time <strong>of</strong> a new world system <strong>of</strong> human organization and <strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>of</strong> a global civilization is <strong>in</strong>deed with us now.Its construction is occurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> an evolutionary process, <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g a number <strong>of</strong> stages culm<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a new world order.The <strong>in</strong>ternational legitimization <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> law, touch<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>in</strong>ternational private and public legal relations, is undoubtedly a majorcontemporary ch<strong>all</strong>enge. There are those who, rooted <strong>in</strong> n<strong>in</strong>eteenth century th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, decry such an ambition as purefantasy. But it is more fanciful to th<strong>in</strong>k that <strong>the</strong> present anarchy <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational relations can be tolerated <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> modernworld.I wish to note that <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>me <strong>of</strong> this Conference opens <strong>the</strong> way for a deeper realization that <strong>the</strong> ris<strong>in</strong>g new world system haspr<strong>of</strong>ound implications for <strong>the</strong> reorientation <strong>in</strong> th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g required about law and <strong>in</strong>ternational relations. Although legal systems,sciences, cultures, and even our <strong>in</strong>dividual thoughts and vision are limited by <strong>the</strong> stubborn operation <strong>of</strong> an old order that is<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g rolled up, some implications and expressions <strong>of</strong> a new arrangement that has ‘shaken, divided,separated and scattered’ <strong>the</strong> realities <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> created th<strong>in</strong>gs, and ‘comb<strong>in</strong>ed and reunited’ <strong>the</strong>m, disclos<strong>in</strong>g.’ entities <strong>of</strong> a newcreation’ can be explored.We are <strong>all</strong> aware that <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> world today, jurists sought and obta<strong>in</strong>ed guidance through decided cases. It is my firm beliefthat <strong>the</strong> judiciary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> various nations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world, are already on <strong>the</strong> right path <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g a more--64--