Srinagar: Secretary District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) Srinagar and Sub-Judge Srinagar Court Noor Mohammad Thursday said that DLSA will provide competent lawyers as a free legal aid to prisoners to plead their cases before the courts.
Noor was speaking during an event on rights of prisoners organized by DLSA at Srinagar Central Jail. He said that law provides certain rights to accused and prisoners.
He said that legal aid means free legal assistance to the poor persons in any judicial proceedings before the Court, Tribunals or any authority.
“Free legal assistance is aimed at provide help to persons who are not able to enforce the rights given to them by law,” he said.
Quoting Justice PN Bhagwati, Noor said legal aid means providing an arrangement in the society which makes the machinery of administration of Justice easily accessible and in reach of those who have to resort to it for enforcement of rights given to them by law.
He added that Article 39-A of the constitution states that the state shall in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen.
“So far, this year, we have provided forty lawyers to different prisoners as a free legal aid. DLSA will provide competent lawyers to prisoners as a free legal aid to plead their cases before court of competent jurisdictions,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, DLSA Panel Lawyer advocate Mir NaveedGul said that different provisions of law and landmark judgments of the Supreme Court have recognized and upheld the fundamental rights of convicts and under trials. He added that there is set precedents and principles upholding the various rights of prisoners that not only guide but also bind all authorities to adhere to.
He said that rights of prisoners include providing them safe food, accommodation and sanitary conditions for prisoners, provisions relating to their mental and physical state, and examination of prisoners by qualified medical officer.
Referring to various international covenants and domestic laws, he said that the rights also include separation of prisoners for male, female, criminal, civil, convicted and under trial prisoners.