Bar Association of India seeks speedy access to justice, legal aid package

The Bar Association of India on Saturday said that more than five months of raging Covid-19 pandemic has put the justice delivery system under severe strain, warranting special measures for speedy access to justice and legal aid package.

It passed a resolution, saying that prevailing economic distress has severely impacted the financial capacity of citizens to avail legal remedies.

"As such it is an immediate need of the hour that a special access to justice and legal aid package is devised and implemented. Such a package should allot legal aid cases to lawyers undergoing financial distress due to the pandemic," Honorary General Secretary Anandita Pujari informed in a statement.

The resolution also noted that the limited functioning of courts has imposed grave restrictions on the meaningful exercise of legal and fundamental rights of the citizens.

"A robust and fully functional justice delivery system is the bedrock of democratic governance and lies at the foundation of the Rule of Law. At the same time restoration of full functioning of courts at various levels requires immediate attention," it said.

Meanwhile, results of the election of the office bearers of Executive Committee of Bar Association of India for 2020 – 2022 were announced on Saturday.

Advocate Prashant Kumar was elected as President and senior advocates Gopal Subramanium, Shyam Divan, S S Nagananda, A S Chandhiok and Mohan V Katarki among others as Vice Presidents.

The annual general meeting of the 21st Governing Council of the Bar Association of India was held on virtual platform.