Shivani Gadhavi –
Published On: December 06, 2021 at 19:30 IST
In accordance with an order passed by the Bombay High Court which allowed the Family Court in Bandra to form a panel for Child’s Independent Lawyer (CIL) for the welfare of a child during a litigation between his/her parents.
The acting Principal Judge of the Family Court in Bandra P.L. Palsingankar called for applications from lawyers, non-profit organizations and all those who work in the area of welfare of children, to his surprise, this move received a great response from lawyers all over the country appreciating the move.
The step would come into motion with the formation of a panel of the Child’s Independent Lawyers (CIL) by the Family Court with the help of the Family Court Bar Association (FCBA). The Child’s Independent Lawyers (CIL) panel would represent children who have to the go through the consequences of the actions of their parents during family disputes.
The step is taken with considering the situation of children who are the silent sufferers while there are conflicts and disputes going on within their families, especially during the cases of divorces. The Panel would provide the child with a lawyer who will put forward his/her interests in the case regarding custody or maintenance of the child.
The Notification passed by the Principal Judge P.L. Palsingankar which asked for the opinions of the NGOs and lawyers in relation with the formation of the Panel stated that the Panel is “supposed to protect the interest of the child by taking all such steps and then to represent the child in custody/ access disputes.”
