Speaking at the All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet organised at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, urged the District Judges to use their position on the District Level Undertrial Review Committees to hasten the release of inmates awaiting trial from prisons.
He highlighted the suffering of undertrial convicts who are incarcerated and urged for legal aid to assist in their release. He said, “There are so many undertrials who are left in jails without any legal help and remedy. I urge the District Judges to use their position in the District Level Undertrial Review Committee and speed up their release from the jails. I hope it will be a success by taking help of legal aid,”
In his address, the PM highlighted Article 39A, which outlines the state’s obligation to encourage free legal assistance.
“Article 39A of the Constitution gives importance to access to justice. This trust of law and justice ensures citizens that their rights are being safeguarded by the courts,” he said.
Speaking about the initiatives by the government in improving judicial structures, the PM said that his government has worked relentlessly having spent about 9000 crores in the last 8 years to bolster the judicial infrastructure.
PM Modi also mentioned the E-courts project and the video conference hearings during the pandemic period, informing that “1 crore cases have been heard digitally in district courts and over 60 lakh cases were heard virtually in High Court and Supreme Court.”
Modi spoke in the attendance of Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, Supreme Court judges, Justice UU Lalit and DY Chandrachud and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Source: Bar and Bench
