Northeast’s first two Legal Aid Clinics have been set up the Central Jails at Guwahati and Jorhat in Assam not only to facilitate inmates of jails to have access to legal aid, but also to grass root level people.
Inaugurating the Legal Aid Clinic at Guwahati Central Jail, Justice Altamas Kabir, Judge Supreme Court of India and the Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority said these clinics would extend legal aid services to the needy free of cost.
Highlighting the importance of Legal Aid Clinics, Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Madan B. Lokur said that a large number of inmates are being deprived of proper legal aid in Northeastern States and this facility will be extended in phases to various parts in the region. He said educated inmates of jails would act as para legal volunteers in the Legal Aid Clinic programme.
The inauguration of the Legal Aid Clinic at Guwahati Central Jail was graced among others by Justice Amitav Roy of Gauhati High Court who is also the Executive Chairman of State Legal Services Authority, child rights activist Meena Kabir, member secretary of National Legal Services Authority, U. Sarath Chandran and several other judges of Gauhati High Court.
In Jorhat the legal aid clinics have been opened at the central jail as well as in the juvenile observation home adjacent to the jail there.
