Warning: If the demand is not met, a fierce state-level protest will be launched – President Gurdeep Singh Randhawa
State Bar Association officials will gather in Jalandhar tomorrow… A major decision will be taken against the government.
Mohit Batalvi. Batala/ Gurdaspur/ Chandigarh.
On Friday, all lawyers of the Bar Association (Batala) abandoned their work and went on a full-day strike. Led by Batala Bar Association President Gurdeep Singh, the lawyers gathered in the court premises and raised slogans against the government. They demanded the immediate repeal of the Gram Nyayalaya Act (2008), recently passed by the state government. Tomorrow, Saturday, officials from the entire state’s Bar Association are going to take a major decision regarding this key demand. The president warned that if the government does not withdraw the decision soon, their protest will intensify in the coming days. The state government will be responsible for any losses incurred.
On Friday morning at 10 am, all lawyers, including Bar Association (Batala) President Senior Advocate Gurdeep Singh Randhawa, went on strike, halting their work. Legal proceedings in all courts remained completely paralyzed. The President stated that the state government had passed the Gram Nyayalaya Act (2008) throughout the state. The concern is that implementing it in Punjab would be inappropriate. The biggest reason is that the village courts are still inadequate. There are no proper arrangements for sitting and standing. There are no parking facilities for vehicles. The biggest problem is that the government lacks the infrastructure to establish Gram Nyayalaya there. Furthermore, the general public is also not in agreement with the government’s decision, as they receive all the facilities available in the public courts.
Randhawa stated that they have been on strike for the past several days over this issue. On October 1st, the Bar Association of Punjab made a decision that they are not going to back down. They met with the State Secretary and several other high-ranking officials on this issue, and submitted a memorandum demanding their decision be reversed. However, they are taking the matter very lightly. A final decision will be made tomorrow at a meeting of all Punjab Bar Association officials in Jalandhar. Their struggle will continue until the government withdraws its decision. They demanded that the government reconsider its decision.
…A better option only for larger states
Legal experts believe that the benefits of Gram Nyayalaya are available only to citizens living in larger states or jurisdictions. Since many cities in Punjab have courts located within 15 kilometers, implementing the Gram Panchayat Act there is not a viable option. This would only hinder those seeking justice. Establishing a Gram Panchayat would cost the government a significant amount of money. Furthermore, providing all the necessary facilities would be difficult for the government.
…Learn what the Gram Nyayalaya Act, 2008 is.
The Gram Nyayalaya Act, 2008, refers to a court at the rural level that provides rural citizens with equal opportunity to seek justice in civil or criminal disputes. Rural citizens should not be deprived of justice. Article 14 of the Constitution of India primarily aims to ensure equality before the law. Furthermore, no citizen should be deprived of justice due to economic or other reasons.
How is a Gram Nyayalaya established? Understand this in this special report…?
Section 3, Sub-section 1 of the Gram Nyayalaya Act, 2008, provides for the establishment of a Gram Nyayalaya. The State Government, exercising its powers, may, by notification, after consulting the High Court, establish one or more Gram Nyayalayas at the intermediate level in the district for each Panchayat or a group of Panchayats nearest to the intermediate level, or, where there is no Panchayat at the intermediate level in a State, for a group of Gram Panchayats nearest to the intermediate level, for the purpose of exercising the jurisdiction and powers conferred on the Gram Nyayalaya by this Act.