Enabling access to justice is crucial to building inclusive societies
Saturday,
17 November 2012: ㉮justice
caused through disability of any kind is our focus and requires
sustained efforts to ensure that we eliminate all the barriers that
result in failure of justice, said Honorable Minister of Law and
Justice, Dr. Ashwani Kumar.
He was speaking at a
two-day international conference of experts that started today in New
Delhi, organized by the Department of Justice in the Government of
India and UNDP, to share best practices towards improving access to
legal aid for the poor and marginalized.
Outlining the importance of legal aid as a tool
of empowerment, the Minister stressed,㔨e right to legal aid is not
merely a constitutional directive or statutory right but is an
unalienable and integral part of the basic fabric of the Constitution
of India.䠼o:p>
The conference has
brought together representatives from 20 countries to discuss legal
empowerment and exchange views on strengthening the capacity of the
institutions responsible for ensuring equitable access to justice.
Lise Grande, United
Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative said,
㉭proving access to justice is essential for expanding poor
peopleⳠchoices, ensuring that they benefit from IndiaⳠprogressive legal
provisions and are able to break the cycle of exclusion.䠼o:p>
Since
2009, the UNDP-Department of Justice Partnership on access to justice
has reached out to over two million people across 87 districts with the
aim of improving the institutional capacities of justice service
providers. Initiatives focus on ways to empower communities to demand
justice and secure entitlements under rights-based legislations and
government schemes.
Click here for more.
About UNDP
UNDP partners with
people at all levels of society to help build nations that can
withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that
improves the quality of life for everyone. With offices in more than
170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local
insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.
Photo Caption:
(from left to right) Mr Marcus Brand, Human Rights and Access to
Justice Advisor, UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Centre; Ms Lise Grande, UN
Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, India; Dr
Ashwani Kumar, Honorable Minister of Law and Justice; Mr D.K. Sikri,
Secretary, Department of Justice (DoJ), Ministry of Law and Justice; Mr
Atul Kaushik, Joint Secretary, Department of Justice, Ministry of Law
and Justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment