Legal academic, author and founder director of National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) Dr. KN Chandrasekharan Pillai passed away on Friday. He was 81.

Dr. Pillai received his B. Sc from the University of Kerala and his LL.B and LL.M from the University of Delhi. He held a second LL.M and S.J.D from the University of Michigan Law School.

He was a member of the editorial boards of Journal of the Indian Law Institute, Cochin University Law Review, Academy Law Review, Kerala Bar Council News, and Bangalore Law Journal. Dr Pillai also served as a part-time member of the Law Commission of India.

Dr. Pillai practiced before the Supreme Court of India before joining as faculty at Campus Law Centre of Delhi University. He then joined Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and later served as the director of the School of Legal Studies at CUSAT.

He served as the founder director of National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi and later as director of National Judicial Academy, Bhopal until 2013.

He also served as the director of Indian Law Institute, Delhi.

Dr. Pillai had reviewed the RV Kelkar Criminal Procedure and Textbook on Criminal Procedure Code and lectures on criminal procedure periodically.