In view of recent incidents of violence on court premises, especially against lawyers, it is imperative to take necessary measures to protect them, Vineet Jindal, general secretary of the North Delhi Lawyers Association told Jaison Wilson in an interview. Excerpts:
Recently, a lawyer was shot dead in the city. How should the situation be dealt with?
Advocates are facing security issues as they have to deal with different kinds of cases where their lives are also under threat even though their families are not safe in such cases. North Delhi Lawyers Association has raised this issue many times. We have recently witnessed many fatal incidents happening in the Court premises.
In one of the incidents, a person was able to bring a bomb concealed in a lunch box to target an advocate in Rohini court. In another incident, an advocate was shot dead after the withdrawal of security by the Delhi police. Therefore security of advocates is one of the biggest issues which is faced by advocates nowadays.
What is your take on the demand for a law to protect to advocates and its implementation?
The demand for implementation of the Advocate Protection Act in Delhi is the need of the time . Being the officers of the court and a citizen of the country, advocates play a crucial role in bringing social change by fighting against injustice and securing justice for the needy. Advocates often file PIL or any other case against social injustice and in cases especially pertaining to anti-social elements, their life is under threat. To uphold the integrity of the constitution and the judiciary system, they have to risk their own life as well as the lives of their family, thus keeping their social obligations at the forefront.
During the process, advocates face many life-threatening situations that may lead to untoward incidents therefore provision of adequate security for the advocates is an essential factor in safeguarding the constitutional structure of this country.
Do women have adequate representation in the legal fraternity?
To a certain extent, there have been fewer women in the legal profession, especially as advocates, due to a certain social mindset. But the situation is changing. They also find inspiration from women such as lawyers Indira Jai Singh and Rebecca John and judges such as Justice Indira Banerjee, Justice Hema Kohli, and Justice Pratibha M Singh who have all contributed significantly to the field.
Long pending cases clogging the courts is a huge problem for the litigants. Your comments?
Generally, advocates are held responsible for this situation during case trials but there are many other factors that lead to a delay in legal proceedings. A shortage of judges is one of the main reasons. To resolve this, more judicial officers must be appointed to ensure the speedy disposal of cases.