Justice Dipak Misra today inaugurated the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee’s (SCLSC) video conferencing facility in the court complex.
Justice Misra, who is also the Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), while launching the revamped website of SCLSC said the committee aims to engage quality lawyers and was planning to enhance remuneration for the legal aid lawyers.
“Now justice is accessible at the click of a mouse. At all levels, only lawyers who are competent and committed will be engaged and the committee is planning to enhance the remuneration to the legal aid lawyers,” Justice Misra said.
The inmates of various prisons across the country can now have their grievances redressed through this system and it will curb delay in filing their matters before Supreme Court, the apex court judge said.
Justice Misra, along with fellow Supreme Court Judge and Chairman of SCLSC Justice Ranjan Gogoi, interacted with the Director General of Tihar jail and enquired about the legal aid services provided to the undertrial prisoners there.
Around 25 central and district jail authorities participated in the live video conferencing in which the judges enquired about the legal service clinics and efforts they make to spread legal awareness among undertrials.
“The Supreme Court is not unapproachable for the convicts who are in jail. We are not beyond their reach,” Justice Gogoi said.
He also said that around 1200 appeals are pending in the apex court which have been filed by convicts from different jails all over the country through the SCLSC.
“We have around 600 cases which are pending before the SCLSC which we can’t process because we do not have the full papers. We want to ensure that the proposals forwarded to the SCLSC be accompanied by proper documents,” he added.
The apex court judges, during their interaction with the jail authorities, asked about the number of undertrials lodged in their respective prisons and the facilities for the legal aid lawyers to interact privately.
( Source – PTI )
