Kohima, October 22 (MTNews): Nino Iralu NJS, Secretary (Judicial), Department of Law and Justice, Government of Nagaland, while addressing the inaugural program of the One day State Level Training program for Retainer Lawyers and Panel Lawyers on Saturday at SIRD Conference Hall, Kohima, advised the legal services lawyers to pay more attention in explaining law and legal advices to anyone who comes to them.
She noted that lawyers normally “do not open up when money is not involved” and claimed that it was the reason why the public or the common people become reluctant to approach or seek help from lawyers.
“When we open up, we are also uplifting ourselves,” she added.
Calling to maintain highest ethical standards, she reminded the legal services lawyers to remain independent from money power and pressure and be honest with one’s integrity so that the services being rendered is unquestionable and to the satisfaction of the receiver.
She also later referred to the legal services lawyers as “harbingers of the authority” and asked them to remain more focused, unselfish leaders and encouraged them to be proactive in accepting responsibility of providing effective legal services to the common man. She added that special focus must be on the marginalized section of the people more so on child victims, child offenders and missing children.
According to her, it is crucial for Panel and retainer Lawyers to spend more time with Under Trial Prisoners (UTPs) whom they are representing in the court and observed that lack of having one on one interaction with their clients give rise to “unversed presentation in facts of the case” and may overlook the interpretation of law in relation with the case.
Therefore, she said that spending more time with UTPs will not only help them present fact of cases better but will also open possibilities for appealing the matter again to the higher court which can even reach the level of the High Court or Supreme Court.
She also encouraged the lawyers to take up “appeal matter” as legal services institutions are also present in the higher level and added that “appealing cases” will provide them with an opportunity to learn more.
Iralu also asked senior panel lawyers who have much more experience in the DLSA to mentor juniors and upcoming lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs) in “professional or correct legal matters” without focusing on the money aspect while categorically pointing out that most of the PLVs come from different backgrounds other than legal.
She said it was also important to get the PLVs connected to various stakeholders and authorities in districts which may be done with the knowledge of the district chairman and secretary for result oriented activity and in the right perspective.
On creating legal awareness, the speaker opined that DLSAs need to focus on acts wherein there are chances of cases or complaints coming up such as the Consumer Protection Act.
According to her, even though there is awareness about the Consumer Protection Act, people do not file complaints because the public do not experience the end result.
“In such cases, one or two cases can be taken as examples by inculcating some success stories,” she said, adding that such success stories will encourage people to come up and take help of Legal Services lawyers.
NSLSA Member Secretary Victo Sema, NJS while delivering the keynote address reminded the paramount role that lawyers play in the legal services in disseminating about the mission of the legal services.
Sema said the mission is “to empower the marginalized and economically weaker section through legal awareness and legal assistance.”
He, however, said, without upgradation and enhancement of one’s knowledge and skill of the lawyers, the grassroots will not be empowered.
The Member Secretary also asked the lawyers to be “aware and conscious” of their duties in fulfilling the constitutional occupation.
“No civilization, country or society will grow and prosper when the majority of the populations live in poverty and without any access to justice,” he added, and claimed that this was the reason why the preamble of the constitution made a solemn promise to secure justice to all its citizens for social and economic empowerment and that, to reinforce the aspiration, Article 39 A was inserted in the Constitution which gave birth to the legislation of Legal Services Authority Act.