Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, MARCH 21
With an aim to provide inexpensive legal basics like legal advice, drafting of petitions, notices, replies, applications and documents of legal importance and resolving disputes of local people, a Legal Aid Clinic was inaugurated today at Kohima Village Council by Justice Ajit Singh, Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh and Patron-in-Chief, Nagaland State Legal Services.
Delivering the inaugural address, Singh said the Legal Aid Clinic belongs to the people of Nagaland, which will be the centre not only for disseminating legal services to the weakest and poorest of the village, but also for delivering justice at the doorsteps of the people.
Referring to Article 39A of the Constitution of India which deals with equal justice and free legal aid to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities, Singh asserted that the poor and marginalised section of the rural population are liable to know about their legal rights as and when various schemes are available for them. He said that through the Legal Aid Clinic, the people can avail best legal assistance by lawyers.
Also taking into consideration the prevailing traditional and customary laws of the Nagas, Singh asked the people not to be apprehensive on the establishment of legal clinic. He said it will not create any stumbling block in the customary ways of dispensing justice.
In his keynote address, Nishitendu Chaudhury remarked that though Naga villages are tied by traditional and customary laws, it does not give rise to any adverse effect, wherein all the disputes and differences are being resolved by unanimous decisions.
However, while noting that those traditions and customs should be maintained, he said along with that there should be something in addition which the people should consider of the weak and marginalized lot in order to give equal justice to all.
He said through the legal aid clinic with the expert services of the para legal volunteers, panel lawyer etc the people can arm themselves with the knowledge of law and demand their rights through the legal proceedings.
Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Resources and Sports, MTF and State Lotteries Khriehu Liezietsu, congratulated the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority and Kohima District Legal Services Authority on opening of the Legal Aid Clinic.
Referring to high cost, time consuming and difficulties in court cases besides mental torture, Khriehu hoped that through opening of the legal aid clinic, the local people will be educated and at the same time their basic legal needs will be provided.
In his short speech, Neivor Rutsa, Chairman, Kohima Village Council said, 90% of the cases are solved within the village court in accordance with traditional and customary laws, while 10% of the cases go out to higher court. In this regard, the chairman appealed to judiciary not to look only from the legal point of view but also give equal importance to existing traditional and customary laws of the Nagas.
The programme was chaired by Mezivolu T Therieh, NJS, Secretary, Kohima District Legal Services Authority and Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kohima. The gathering was enthralled with an indigenous folk tune by Cultural Vibrance, Kohima Village.
