Jammu, Dec 7 (KNS): In a first, J&K High Court launched an ambitious legal outreach programme “Insaf Ki Dastak” aimed at providing access to justice at the door steps of people living in far-flung and inaccessible areas of the UTs of J&K and Ladakh who face severe hardships in reaching the courts for their legal issues.
The outreach initiative would provide succor to the people of Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir; and Ladakh where ‘access to justice’ is a challenge owing to its unique topography.
These are in Kathua, Reasi, Poonch, Ramban, Kishtwar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara Districts in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir; and Kargil and Leh Districts of the Union Territory of Ladakh which remain cut off even from the nearest courts for months together due to topography of the region and harsh weather which prevails for a considerable time of the year.
The initiative will help People living in those areas who have to wait for months together or alternatively are forced to travel to far off places to get any legal remedy for their disputes.
The Chief Justice Geeta Mittal who has conceptualized the initiative said, “It is aimed to reach out to people living in far off places so that they do not remain deprived of the legal rights.
She hoped that by better coordination between the courts, the post offices, Common Services Centres and the Legal Services Authorities, the programme shall play a major role in ensuring justice at doorstep.
“For better operationalisation of the scheme, the Para Legal Volunteers have been provided preliminary knowledge of laws and schemes provided by the Government especially in drafting petition, pleadings and applications. Besides the Para Legal Volunteers, the post Masters, their subsidiary staff were also imparted training on how to maintain a register of filed cases and applications with details of court fees and exemption if any.
Justice Rajesh Bindal who is going to be in charge of J&K High Court soon after the retirement of Justice Mittal said, “The High Court has studied and analysed the challenges to justice in J&K and proposed a first-of-its-kind outreach initiative. The Court is undertaking an elaborate exercise of ensuring that access to justice reaches the remotest corner of the Union Territories, especially to areas which are rendered inaccessible on account of protracted harsh weather and to the marginalised communities,” he said.
This initiative named as “Insaaf Ki Dastak” has a two-pronged approach to enable continuous access to justice to people living in areas approaching the nearest Court.
The first initiative is filing of cases in Post Offices and other Approved Centres-
a party residing in a remote area, desirous of filing a case before a Judicial Magistrate may file the same before the nearest approved centre. A para legal volunteer attached to the concerned approved Centre would assist the party in drafting / filing of the case at the designated post office or approved centre.(KNS)