Jammu, Feb 24: Justice Tashi Rabstan, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority, on Saturday highlighted the importance of professional legal aid services and the need for effective monitoring and accessibility, saying these programs contribute significantly towards promoting justice, ensuring fair trials and upholding the principles of legal aid and representation.
Justice Tashi inaugurated a one-day orientation programme for Legal Aid Defence Counsels of Jammu Province at J&K Judicial Academy, Jammu. Delivering the inaugural address, he emphasised the importance of the programme in training and equipping Legal Aid Defence Counsels with the necessary skills and qualities to provide enhanced quality legal services.
There is a need for an effective workforce committed to ensuring the best interests of the underprivileged and marginalised, he stressed.
Organised by J&K Legal Services Authority in collaboration with J&K Judicial Academy, the event was inaugurated in the presence of Justice Sanjeev Kumar, Judge High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Chairperson, Governing Committee for J&K Judicial Academy. Besides, Yash Paul Bourney, Director, J&K Judicial Academy, Rajinder Saproo, Registrar Rules, Amit Kumar Gupta, Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority and Prem Sagar, Secretary, High Court Legal Services Committee, who were the resource persons for the event.
In his special address, Justice Sanjeev Kumar underscored the primary aim of the Legal Services Authority to provide access to justice for all sections of society. He commended the Public Defender system in the United States and Argentina, citing their infrastructure and work as examples to emulate.
Justice Kumar explained that the Legal Aid Defence Counsel provides legal representation to individuals who cannot afford to hire private attorneys. He gave thrust on the systems’ effectiveness in ensuring that everyone, right up to the most vulnerable members of society, receives competent legal representation. He urged the LADCs to work with zeal and full dedication to defend the poor and marginalized and strive to be good defenders, highlighting that contentment in their duty would compensate for their work.
Director, J&K Judicial Academy, Yash Paul Bourney, gave an overview of the Legal Aid Defence Counsel Scheme. He highlighted some of the perceived advantages of the LADC vis-à-vis the Assigned Counsel System. “The objectives of the LADC system are to provide qualitative and competent legal services in criminal matters to eligible persons and to manage and implement a legal aid system professionally in criminal matters,” he said.
Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority, Amit Kumar Gupta, proposed the vote of thanks and also conducted the proceedings of the day-long programme.
The inaugural session was followed by interactive sessions during which the participants deliberated and discussed various aspects of the subject topic and raised queries which were satisfactorily settled by the resource persons who successfully engaged the LADCs and emphasized their potential to make a positive impact through free legal aid.
