MANURAJ SHUNMUGASUNDARAM

Manuraj Shunmugasundaram is one of the founding Partners of Ganesan and Manuraj Legal LLP and an Advocate practicing at the Madras High Court. He is also a National Media Spokesperson for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Party.

Mr. Manuraj is known for his understanding and sharpness in dealing with and assisting Senior Counsels in complex constitutional and criminal matters. He is adept at handling intricate subjects with utmost diligence. He has significant experience in handling Civil cases, Criminal cases and Consumer Disputes, specifically in cases involving Medical negligence, and has an in depth understanding on matters pertaining to Writs and other Constitutional issues. Mr. Manuraj is also well versed in Election laws, having appeared in various election matters of national significance. He has represented parties in high profile cases of alleged money laundering and other economic offences.

Mr. Manuraj has always worked to advance the cause of responsible politics, participatory governance and social justice. He was the former Founder Director of Vaagai Advisory, a public policy research and political consultancy firm. He has also worked as a Policy Advisor to Members of Parliament. It was his Petition before the Madras High Court in S. Sushma & Anr vs. Commissioner of Police & 22 Ors. which led to the landmark order wherein detailed guidelines were laid down to incorporate sensitization programme at the grass root level of administration for the welfare of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In June 2015, Mr. Manuraj was appointed a National Media Spokesperson for the DMK party, an exceptional and prestigious honour for a person under 35 years of age. He has regularly participated in news discussions and talk shows on English news channels such as NDTV, India Today, CNN News 18, Times NOW and NewsX and Tamil news channels including Puthiya Thalaimurai, Thanthi TV and News7. In all of his over 100 such appearances, Mr. Manuraj has strived to elevate the level of debate through meaningful deliberation of political and legal issues. In addition, he is a regular writer on contemporary policy issues and legal developments for the Times of India, Huffington Post and Indian Express. He has also published articles in The Hindu, Scroll and Caravan magazine.

Mr. Manuraj has enhanced his knowledge on International legislation drafting and public policy In November 2010, and he was selected as a Fellow of the Legislative Fellows Program organised by the US State Department in Washington DC. In July 2013, Mr. Manuraj participated in the European Union Visitor Program, with fellowships in Brussels, Strasbourg and The Hague. In January 2014, Mr. Manuraj was part of the Australia – India Youth Dialogue in New Delhi and Hyderabad and in recognition of his work and contributions, he was appointed as the Chair of the AIYD Steering Committee. In August 2017, Mr. Manuraj was part of an all-India delegation to Israel under the Project Interchange program.

Education

2012 – 2015 University of Delhi, New Delhi LL.B.

2005 – 2007 Australian National University (ANU), Canberra. Master of Philosophy (Physics)

2005 – 2007 ANU Master Degree Tuition Scholarship

2005 – 2007 ANU Master Departmental Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering (RSPhysSE) Scholarship

2005 – RSPhysSE Honours Scholarship

2001 – 2005 Australian National University, Canberra. Bachelor of Science (Honours)

2001 – 2005 ANU International Undergraduate Scholarship

QUALIFICATION AND MEMBERSHIPS

2019: Chair Person, Steering Committee – Australia India Youth Dialogue Advocate (2016)

Member of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Bar Council, Republic of India (2016)

WRITING/ PUBLICATIONS

• Live Law, 21 June 2021 – https://www.livelaw.in/columns/right-to-be-forgotten-rtbf-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974-176014

  The Hindu, 19 June 2021 –

  Live Law, 3 June 2021 – https://www.livelaw.in/columns/lgbtqia-rights-in-india-legal-gender-recognition-175168

  Bar and Bench, 26 May 2021 – https://www.barandbench.com/columns/open-justice-court-of-recordings

  The Hindu, 25 May 2021 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/expanding-the-scope-of-pocso/article34636334.ece

  The Quint, 03 February 2021 – https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/karunanidhi-man-who-borrowed-brother-heart-cn-annadurai-dmk

  The Hindu, 30 December 2020 – https://epaper.thehindu.com/Home/MShareArticle?OrgId=GPC84AFE9.1

  Bar and Bench, 5 December 2020 https://www.barandbench.com/columns/judicial-review-in-the-uk-lessons-for-india

  The Hindu, – 5 December 2020 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-regressive-agenda-a-new-low-in-governance/article33253137.ece

  The Hindu, 18 November 2020 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/constitutional-fault-lines/article33120499.ece

  Live Law, 10 November 2020 – https://www.livelaw.in/columns/constitutional-conundrum-of-special-courts-165717

  Live Law, 04 November 2020 – https://www.livelaw.in/columns/the-untenable-tiktok-ban-165434

  Bar and Bench, 12 May 2020 – https://www.barandbench.com/columns/data-protection-regime-in-india-and-compliance

  Bar and Bench, 24 April 2020 – https://www.barandbench.com/columns/uk-no-longer-a-fugitive-paradise

  Live Law, 13 April 2020 – https://www.livelaw.in/columns/can-government-protect-migrants-from-eviction-155147

  Bar and Bench – 01 April 2020 – https://www.barandbench.com/columns/litigation-columns/time-for-india-to-embrace-virtual-courts

  The Hindu, 23 March 2020 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/not-an-unfettered-right/article31136495.ece

  The Print, 01 October 2019 – https://theprint.in/…/hindi-row-over-sanskrit-anna-…/299562/

  The Hindu, 10 September 2019 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/all-the-presidents-men/article29385636.ece

  Times of India, 26 August 2019 – https://m.timesofindia.com/…/h…/amp_articleshow/70833729.cms

  Times of India, 20 June 2019 – https://m.timesofindia.com/…/o…/amp_articleshow/69865119.cms

  The Print, 03 June 2019 – https://theprint.in/…/modi-must-clarify-if-non-hind…/244707/

  The Hindu, 26 April 2019 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/breaking-new-ground/article26946299.ece?utm_campaign=amp_article_share&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=whatsapp.com

  Times of Inida, 18 April 2019 – https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/a-promise-to-give-power-to-the-states/amp_articleshow/68929266.cms

  The Hindu, 28 March 2019 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/temple-and-state/article26656018.ece

  The Hindu, 13 October 2018 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/governors-discretion/article25021561.ece

  The Hindu, 13 October 2018 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/indias-magna-carta/article24513886.ece

  The Hindu, 12 October 2018 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/all-in-your-name/article22986770.ece

  The Hindu, 28 September 2018 – https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/should-the-convicts-in-the-rajiv-gandhi-case-be-released/article25061239.ecetoi.in/p87ntZ97/a31gj

  Times of India, 21 September 2018 – https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/how-an-old-party-plans-to-look-young-stay-relevant/amp_articleshow/65894626.cms

  News 18, 12 August 2018 – https://www.news18.com/news/politics/m-karunanidhi-the-dravidian-juggernaut-who-never-lost-an-election-1837071.html

  Daily O, 08 August 2018 – https://www.dailyo.in/politics/m-karunanidhi-karunanidhi-dies-kalaignar-tamil-nadu-politics-emergency-cn-annadurai/story/1/25942.html

  The Print, 07 August 2018 – https://theprint.in/opinion/karunanidhi-always-said-dmk-cadres-were-brothers-from-different-mothers/94620/

  The Print, 17 July 2018 – https://theprint.in/opinion/modi-govts-liberal-cloak-will-drop-if-court-considers-civil-rights-for-lgbtq-people/83881/

  The Hindu, 29 June 2018 – https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/listening-in/article24284267.ece

  The Print, 28 June 2018 – https://theprint.in/opinion/tamil-nadu-governor-must-not-let-raj-bhavan-become-a-den-of-political-activity/76284/

  Times of India, 12 June 2018 – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/not-a-good-inheritance-this-muzzling-of-press/articleshow/64548592.cms

  The Leaflet, 11 June 2018 – http://theleaflet.in/specialissues/a-more-meaningful-court-why-decentralisation-of-judicial-powers-is-the-way-forward/

  Daily O, 06 June 2018 – https://www.dailyo.in/voices/upsc-cadre-allocation-pmo-civil-services-aspirants-modi-government-mandal-commission-merit-vs-sycophancy/story/1/24685.html

  IDR Online, 22 May 2018 – http://idronline.org/where-are-women-policy-making-india/

  Times of India, 18 May 2018 – https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/when-governors-use-discretion-indiscriminately/articleshow/64211697.cms

  The Print, 14 April 2018 – https://theprint.in/opinion/happy-tamil-new-year-wait-not-everyone-in-tamil-nadu-agrees-it-is-today/49736/

  Indian Express, 12 April 2018 – http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/towards-a-southern-brotherhood-dmk-south-india-ministers-conclave-dmk-5133622/

  Entrepreneur India, 28 March 2018 – https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/311180

  The Print, 26 March 2018 – https://theprint.in/talk-point/talkpoint-will-modi-govts-new-population-formula-share-tax-revenues-reignite-north-south-divide/44695/#5

  The Print, 25 March 2018 – https://theprint.in/opinion/instead-of-verbal-threats-to-zuckerberg-india-must-focus-on-data-protection/44429/

  Times of India, 08 March 2018 – https://t.co/fsDfVQib0U

  The Print, 7 March 2018 – https://theprint.in/opinion/lenin-periyar-bjp-w-razing-idols-erase-ideologies/39813/

  Times of India, 22 Feb 2018 – https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOICH%2F2018%2F02%2F22&entity=Ar01007&sk=958E74F6&mode=text

  Indian Express, 20 February 2018 – http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/follow-the-money-pnb-fraud-5070423/

  The Print, 16 February 2018 –https://theprint.in/opinion/tamil-nadu-will-find-it-hard-to-accept-injustice-cauvery/36142/

  Times of India – 06 February 2018 – https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOICH%2F2018%2F02%2F06&entity=Ar00805&sk=D29512D3&mode=text

  Indian Express, 09 January 2018 – https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/united-nations-hindi-in-un-shashi-tharoor-sushma-swaraj-official-language-india-or-hindia-5016773/

  Indian Express, 23 December 2017 – http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/2g-bjp-admk-kanimozhi-a-raja-4995301/

  The Print – 22 December 2017 – https://theprint.in/opinion/manufactured-deep-prejudice-public-mind-2g-scam-rewarded-bjp/24236/

  Times of India – 16 November 2017 – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/when-governors-break-moulds-who-pulls-strings/articleshow/61664815.cms

  Times of India – 16 November 2017 https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/when-governors-break-moulds-who-pulls-strings/articleshow/61664815.cms

  The Hindu Centre, 29 June 2017 – http://www.thehinducentre.com/publications/issue-brief/article9741704.ece

  Indian Express, 26 May 2017 – http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/in-past-year-tamil-nadu-has-seen-ops-eps-and-is-now-on-ups/

  Times of India, 23 September 2016 – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/tracking-indian-communities/why-we-need-coroners-to-probe-custodial-deaths/

  Indian Express, 12 August 2016 – https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/permanent-court-of-arbitration-verdict-south-china-sea-dispute-2969092/

  Indian Express, 18 July 2016 – https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/swathi-murder-case-infosys-employee-hacked-to-death-in-chennai-2920250/