Swarna Shukla –
Published On: October 3, 2021 at 11:30 IST
President Ram Nath Kovind was at the launch of 6-week long Pan India Legal Awareness and Outreach Campaign of National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) and on the occasion of the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the President discussed about the work and ethics of Mahatma Gandhi.
President said, “Indentured labourers looked up to Gandhiji to help them in Courts, Gandhiji helped them without fees. After returning to India and watching Lawyers earning cost of poor litigants. I feel this advice of Bapu should be followed by legal fraternity, especially senior advocates.”
Advocates should earmark some of their time in Pro Bono services to people from weaker sections.
The President reminisced that in suggesting this, he had in mind eminent Lawyers like Ashoke Sen, Former Union Law Minister, who inspired him to provide Pro Bono services.
The President voiced that he expects legal services authorities to make special efforts to disseminate awareness about his rights among citizens of socially and economically backward sections.
Ram Nath Kovind further suggested that law colleges should adopt villages for providing legal services, and that project reports of the rural conditions should be part of the curriculum.
Furthermore, he underscored the importance of ensuring that women are made of legal services institutions.
While concluding the speech he stated, “As a country our goal should be to graduate from women development to women led development. Therefore, increasing the number of women in legal services institution is as important as reaching out to the largest possible number of women beneficiaries.”
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