Sushree Mohanty
The Senior Supreme Court Judge NV Ramana, in his recent address to a gathering said that the assurance of justice and equity will be useless if the vulnerable segments of the general society are unable to practice or execute their privileges and rights in view of illiteracy or ignorance.
During an occasion arranged by the Delhi State Legal Services Authority, Justice Ramana accentuated that ‘access to justice’ was a requirement as well as a thought that was profoundly embedded in the constitution and shaped the bedrock of law and order in a democratic state like India.
He added that,
“Since the time we declared ourselves to be an independent country, we often got tangled up between the issues of ‘destitution’ and ‘access to justice’. Tragically, even after the passing of 74 years of Independence, we are as yet examining a similar issue…Although the fact of the matter is miserable, it should not de-motivate us.”
As long as we are a country which keeps on confronting such double real factors, such conversations should precede,” said Justice Ramana, who is additionally the Chief Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
Justice Ramana is expected to take over the seat of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in the upcoming month.
Emphasizing on the system of free legal aid or guide, the Justice requested the legal advisors to stretch out a helping hand to the individuals who are unable bear the cost of legal charges by enabling them to access the legal administrations free of charge.
Justice Ramana likewise said that about a million individuals were given the assistance of free legal aid through legal administrations facilities.
Additionally, ₹218.81 crores was granted as compensation during the same period under the Victim Compensation Scheme.