New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Chief Justice of India-designate Justice D Y Chandrachud Monday inaugurated two campaigns of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) aimed at inculcating the spirit of inclusivity.

Justice Chandrachud, who is also the executive chairman of NALSA, launched the campaigns -- 'Empowerment of Citizens through Legal Awareness and Outreach' and 'Haq_hamara_bhi_hai@75' -- which is a special campaign for legal assistance in prisons and childcare institutions.

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According to NALSA, the vision of the two-week pan-India campaigns, from October 31 to November 13, is to work at the grassroot levels and build capacity for the incapacitated.

About the campaign for legal assistance in prisons and childcare institutions to commemorate the 75th year of Independence, NALSA said undertrial prisoners are that segment of the population whose human rights stand violated and for them the process itself becomes the punishment and lack of awareness fuels their misery.

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Justice Chandrachud said the campaign 'Haq_hamara_bhi_hai@75' is aimed at providing basic legal assistance to undertrial prisoners and children in conflict with law.

Under this campaign, district teams formulated by district legal service authorities will visit prisons and childcare institutions to interact with individual undertrial prisoners and children in conflict with law, he said.

He said through these interactions the teams will not only ascertain if the individual is represented by a lawyer but also provide free legal counselling and assistance, including drafting and filing appropriate applications.

The district teams will also ascertain the needs of individuals concerned and ensure they are in contact with their families and friends during their custodial presence, Justice Chandrachud added.

“Prison is a morbid world where sun and light are banished, crime has neurotic dimensions and liberty is of paramount value. All agencies of the criminal justice system should come together and work harmoniously to ensure the effective realisation of legal rights to every individual behind bars and keep a check on prolonged detention and overstays,” NALSA said in a note.

It said the key objectives of the campaign are to ascertain that undertrials have been provided updated information about the status of their cases and to facilitate communication with lawyers.

The key objectives also include ensuring that children lodged in childcare institutions are represented by advocates, made aware of the status of cases and are in contact with their guardians.

About the campaign of 'Empowerment of Citizens through Legal Awareness and Outreach', NALSA said it aims to be fundamental in decreasing the vulnerability of the marginalised strata of the society as it would facilitate their capacity to foster a just, peaceful and inclusive society.

The target is promoting legal literacy at all levels possible in collaboration with electronic media, NALSA said, adding the key objective of this campaign is to organise a mega legal awareness camp on the NALSA module in every district of the country.

The aim is to ensure visits by outreach teams to every village panchayat and sub-division at least once in two weeks, deliberation on issues affecting people such as fundamental rights and duties as envisaged under the Constitution, laws related to women and children, human rights and environmental laws it said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)