Legal service should not be only for the high and mighty, but more so for the poor and marginalised sections, and "only then we can take pride that legal system is doing justice to those who deserve", Supreme Court judge Justice A K Sikri said today.
"Today when we talk of access to justice, it does not only mean that a person is able to come to the court with the legal aid provided by the legal services authority, but the second limb of the access to justice is that he gets fair treatment and he gets what is due to him in law.
"Legal service should not be only for high and mighty but more for the poor and those in marginalised sections, only then we can take pride that legal system is doing justice to those who deserve," Justice Sikri said.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a new office complex of New Delhi Legal Services Authority at the Patiala House Courts Complex here.
He said that those in the legal profession should think about the human rights of accused or convicts and victims of crime as well.
"It is very necessary for the judicial officers to spend some time in the legal services authority...Only then they will be able to understand and empathise with these persons. We have to sensitise our judicial officers and their posting for some time in Legal Services Authority is imperative," he said.
He said that if a judge had some acquaintance with the litigants, who come to the judicial officers asking for legal aids, he would be able to dispense justice in a better manner.
"When first-hand information about how, while in need, such litigants need the support, he will able to give them more strength and will be able to hone their skill better in advancing the cause of justice," the judge said.
He said, "For representing persons who are deprived, disabled, children in court of law, sensitisation is required... Only then we will be able to discharge our functions properly and we will be able deliver justice to them".
The judge also inaugurated a conference hall and an
elevator for the disabled persons at the courts complex.
"If people are suffering from some disability for which they require medical attention, the duty of the society does not come to an end by providing medical aid only... What is required is that we have to create the circumstances, we have to give those facilities through which they are able to grow themselves and able to compete with abled persons.
"So that they also become part and parcel of the mainstream, they also become a human assets to this country. It is not the medico approach but it is the human rights approach which is required to deal with the issues of the disabled person," he said.
