In Kashmir, the lockdown has blocked the detainees' path to justice

The paralysis of the court has seen many crucial issues pushed to the back burner

A few days after repressive measures were imposed in Kashmir in the wake of the dilution of Article 370, a distraught woman banged on the doors of the home of Shopian-based lawyer Habeel Iqbal. She had just learnt her young son – detained in a police station – had been whisked away to a prison outside the state. In the absence of basic communication facilities – even landlines were not functioning – and severe restrictions on movement, it was not possible to help her access justice on that day.

Iqbal could only attend the Shopian district and sessions court 20