Sakina Tashrifwala
Published on: 17 November 2022 at 19:04 IST
The High Court Legal Services Committee has been asked by the Allahabad High Court to make sure that the counsel hired under legal aid to represent the victims in POCSO Act matters are conscientious practitioners who are knowledgeable of the law and have a firm grasp of the relevant facts.
When addressing the bail request of a man who had been arrested under the POCSO Act on suspicion of raping an 8-year-old girl, the Justice Ajay Bhanot bench gave the HC legal services authority this directive.
The Child Welfare Committee (district-Gorakhpur) was instructed to file his affidavit disclosing whether the victim is in need of legal aid and has been provided with various support systems contemplated for the victims under the POCSO Act. Earlier, on September 30, the Court took note of the fact that the victim was not represented before the Court.
Now, on November 10, the Secretary of the High Court Legal Services Committee notified the Court that the Child Welfare Committee had requested the appointment of a lawyer in accordance with the safeguards of the POCSO Act, 2012, read with the POCSO Rules, 2020.
The Court requested that the HC legal services authority make sure that diligent counselors are assigned in such situations in light of this. The Court then scheduled the case for hearing on November 17 as a result.
In related developments, the High Court Legal Services Committee was recently asked by the Allahabad High Court to appoint female counsels to represent the victims, particularly when the victims are young girls.
When addressing the bail request of a POCSO accused, the Justice Ajay Bhanot bench made this request after seeing that very few female advocates from the High Court Legal Services Committee appear to represent the victims.
The court states that, “Counsels have been appointed by the High Court Legal Services Committee, High Court Allahabad, to represent the victims. However, it has been noted that not many female counsellors have been up for the victims.”
“In certain cases, it is urged that the High Court Legal Services Committee, High Court Allahabad, select female counsels to represent the victims, particularly if they are young girls “