New Delhi: Lawyers need to be aware of serious problems plaguing society like use of narcotics, rise in juvenile delinquency and attacks on people from the northeast to bring out any change, Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed on Saturday said.
Justice Ahmed also advised lawyers empanelled with Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) as well as others to be aware of these problems so that they can better handle the cases associated with such issues.
He made the suggestion while addressing an Annual Meet cum Orientation and Training Programme for empanelled legal services advocates of DSLSA and where the 8th Annual Report 2012-2014 was also released.
Delhi High Court Chief Justice G Rohini, who was the chief guest at the event, said awareness of legal rights and the duties that flow from it are very important as man does not live for himself alone, but for others also.
"Knowledge of right and wrong makes a person more responsible," she said, while addressing a gathering which also comprised of Delhi High Court and trial court judges as well as senior and young lawyers.
While informing the gathering about the proposed modification in fees of DSLSA lawyers, Justice Ahmed said, "You are not working for fees, you are working for society."
"The objective is how do you benefit the poor, needy, women, children and the marginalised," he said and added even if they neglect a paid brief, "do not neglect brief of a person under legal aid as he has not chosen you, you have been given to him".
He also advised them to be very careful while handling cases pertaining to life and liberty of an individual and said if they have the "desire to do the utmost" then justice for all can be achieved.
Justice Ahmed highlighted the new initiatives, which DSLSA has launched and proposes to, including making jail visits easier for lawyers, setting up legal aid helpline number-1516-which would be available 24X7 and organising mass legal literacy programmes in schools and colleges.
Giving details of the various initiatives, he said jail visits by lawyers would be made easier as they would have online access to all the relevant information, at the Legal Services Clinics at each of the 10 jails, that might be required in connection with under trial prisoners.
This would also save paper work and ensure timely legal aid, he said.
He also said that fee structure of lawyers empanelled with DSLSA would be modified with a hike ranging from 25 to 50 percent across the board.
Apart from that, empanelled lawyers would also get Rs 1000, when they are assigned a case, as "mobilisation advance" to prepare for the matter. They would also get Rs 2000 if they are able to resolve an issue through alternative dispute resolution, the judge said.
Praising the work done by DSLSA advocates, Justice Ahmed said that as per figures, more 2.4 lakh people have benefited from legal aid till March 2015 and of these 1,17,416 were those who were in custody.
He also said DSLSA has 1245 lawyers empanelled with it and this number was expected to rise as it proposed to empanel 122 more lawyers, including 55 lady advocates.
Meanwhile, Dharmesh Sharma, the Member Secretary of DSLSA said, "DSLSA is coordinating between prisoners and district courts in order to ensure that persons who are lodged in jail for want of surety, despite passing of bail orders, are released on bail by moving an application for reduction of surety amount or release of accused on personal bond."
He also said the bills of empanelled lawyers would be cleared within 15 days.
Regarding the legal aid helpline, he said it would be initially functioning from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and would work 24X7 as soon as the standard operating protocols (SOP) were formulated.
