MP High Court Chief Justice Ravi Malimath inaugurated the first phase of Legal Aid Defense Counsel System in 19 Districts of the state on Tuesday.
The Legal Aid Defense Counsel System is inaugurated in districts including Ashoknagar, Balaghat, Barwani, Bhopal, Chhatarpur, Chhindwara, Dewas, Dhar, Guna, Jhabua, Mandla, Mandsaur, Narmadapuram, Narsinghpur, Raisen, Shahdol, Shajapur, Umaria and Vidisha.
The Chief Justice also inaugurated the orientation and Capacity Building Training Programme for selected Chief & Deputy Legal Aid Defense Counsels.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Justice said “so far, providing legal aid to poor has always been one of the goals of the legal services authority and right from the very inception, legal aid is being provided, but after Legal Aid Defense Counsel System we have a dedicated system along with dedicated set of lawyers who take up this job of assisting the defense and for this reason this scheme has been propounded and it comes with emoluments also. It is only intended that each one of Defense Counsels dedicate themselves completely only for this cause.
Every accused needs to be defended by a quality lawyer. We really want dedicated people for this. We want people who really have some kind of passion to help those people in need of quality legal services. The entire profession is itself a passion. You must love what you are doing. It is only then that you can give your best to whatever you are doing. I am sure that all selected Defense counsels must be very best or the people who are really interested to do this. So I congratulate each one of you for coming on board and really hope people will get quality legal assistance through you, he said.
As per NALSA’s LADCS Scheme, 2022, Legal Aid Defense Counsel System is launched across the Nation, in which 19 District of M.P. were selected to implement this scheme.
MPSLSA under the constant guidance of Justice Sheel Nagu, Executive Chairman M.P. State Legal Services Authority, ensured timely development of infrastructure, completion of selection process and implementation of LADCS in selected districts.
MPSLSA member secretary Rajiv Karmahe gave brief information regarding LADCS Scheme, Selection process and training programme of Defense Counsels.
He also mentioned that after 1st Phase, Legal Aid Defense Counsel System is going to be functional in all remaining 31 Districts of the State of M.P. and efforts are being made to make it functional till 31st March, 2023.
In said programme MP High Court Registrar General Ramkumar Choubey, Director, M.P. State Judicial Academy, Krishnamurty Mishra, MPSLSA Additional Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, Registry Officers of High Court of M.P., Officers of MPSJA and DLAOs of MPSLSA were also present.
