Nagaland legal services meet to ensure best pragmatic practices

[caption id="attachment_179579" align="aligncenter" width="565"] LS Jamir and Y Kikheto Sema releasing the documentary on domestic violence.[/caption] Dimapur, April 28 (EMN): With the aim to find out the best pragmatic practices for carrying forward the legal services activities, Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) conducted its 2nd All Nagaland Meet of District Legal Services Authority” at the conference hall of hotel Cimorb, on April 28. The authority updated about the programme on Saturday. Delivering the inaugural speech, Justice LS Jamir, judge Gauhati High Court and executive chairman of Nagaland State Legal Services Authority said that the DLSAs have done commendable work, under the supervisions of the NSLSA. However, he said there is a need to reach out, in terms of actual service, to more people especially children, women and the differently abled. To ensure and endeavour that the voiceless and vulnerable are not denied the benefit of Article 39-A, he said that National Legal Services Authority spearheaded a program, that all under trail prisoners get representation from the first day of production in court implemented through the state legal services authority enabling a timely interface, between the empanelled lawyers and DLSAs. S Jamir therefore urged that this interface must now be speeded up by monitoring criminal cases, in the district courts with time limits for expeditious disposal and for performance assessment on that basis. To reform the existing system for legal representation for the under trail prisoners and the convicts who are unable to engage counsels and the intent is to increase the visits of panel lawyers to jail clinics, he said more responsibility on remand advocates and to see that the counsels who represent the cases are well prepared and have requisite expertise. Stressing on the need to invest in young para-legal volunteers by training a cadre of PLVs, Jamir said that such training will increase a common man’s access to legal services institutions as PLVs will effectively give the aggrieved or victimized persons, timely information about legal rights and guide them further for making use of the legal aid services available. The chairman mentioned that Lok Adalats have to be cost effective and the effort is to reduce pendency of cases keeping in mind the litigations which are to be targeted and establishing social amity is also required to be treated as a salient feature of Lok Adalats. Earlier the executive chairman released a documentary on domestic violence titled “Between the Silence” by Dreamz Unlimited. Delivering a speech, Y Kikheto Sema, IAS secretary Land Resource & Finance and ex-officio member of NSLSA, said that the three organs of government the legislature, executive and judiciary should work in consultation, coordination and cooperation in order to deliver the expected services to the people. He said that it is important that the three organs do not infringe and work in such a way that there is check and balances. While lauding the initiatives of the NSLSA, Kikheto suggested on the need to create legal awareness in churches and church workers, include in Sunday sermons as church is an influential institution in Nagaland. Earlier, he also handed over the amount of INR 4 lakh under the Victim Compensation Scheme 2012 received from the Relief & Rehabilitation department to the chairman and secretary of three districts – Zunheboto, Mon and Phek legal service authorities. Registrar Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench, Y Longkumer also released the annual magazine 2017-18.