Srinagar: Secretary District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Srinagar Fouzia Paul on Thursday emphasised on scope of free legal aid.
Speaking during a daylong programme organised by DLSA in collaboration of School of Law, Kashmir University, she said that free legal assistance is aimed at to help needy.
“Free legal assistance is aimed at provide help to persons who are not able to enforce the rights given to them by law,” she said.
Quoting Justice PN Bhagwati, she said legal aid means providing an arrangement in the society which makes the machinery of administration of Justice easily accessible and in reach of those who have to resort to it for enforcement of rights given to them by law.
She added that Article 39-A of the constitution states that the state shall in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen.
“DLSA is providing free legal aid to different prisoners,” she said.
She emphasised on the role of legal services authority in giving free and competent legal aid to the marginalized and disadvantageous sections of society.
She also pointed out how districts Srinagar and Budgam are focal zones of the “Nasha Mukht Bharat Abhiyaan” and also spoke about the important work done by various legal services authorities in the UT of J&K towards fulfilling the objectives of article 39A of the Indian Constitution and the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987.
Prof. Mohammad Ayub, former Head & Dean and Professor, School of Law spoke how legal aid and its various facets find root in international conventions and how same has been recognized in the Indian Constitution as well.
He said that civilised societies always come to the rescue of its weaker and disadvantageous sections of society which are given free and competent legal aid.
The event was followed by an awareness rally taken out by the students of School of Law, KU all the dignitaries and the staff of DLSA wherein banners and placards were used to make the general public aware about the scope of free and competent legal aid.