Professor Murali Karnam is Professor of Human Rights and Director of the Access to Justice Program at NALSAR University of Law. With a multidisciplinary background in Political Science and Law, he has over two decades of experience in research and teaching. His doctoral research examined the colonial antecedents of the Indian penal system and the efficacy of judicial interventions in prison reforms.
Before his academic tenure, Prof. Karnam spent a decade advocating for prison reforms and prisoners’ rights. In 2013, he joined the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, where he taught courses on Criminology and Human Rights and Comparative Constitutional Law. Since 2018, he has been affiliated with NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
Professor Karnam’s pedagogical expertise spans political theory, penal law, and research on penal systems, with a particular focus on preventive and pre-trial detention. His research has extensively examined the experiences of prisoners and the operational dynamics of preventive detention laws in India. His contributions in this area include numerous articles and three monographs on prison reforms.
In recognition of his expertise, Professor Karnam was appointed to a three-member Committee on Prison Reforms by the High Court of Uttarakhand in 2021. He has also completed several studies on prison reforms and legal aid at the request of high courts, the Supreme Court and governments.
In addition to teaching responsibilities, Professor Karnam oversees a Prison Legal Aid Clinic, providing students with hands-on experience in addressing the legal needs of incarcerated individuals.
As Director of the Access to Justice Program, he supervises a multidisciplinary team of advocates, prison social workers, and research associates to provide qualitative legal aid to prisoners in Hyderabad, underscoring his constitutional commitment to promoting access to justice for all.