President Pratibha Patil on Saturday expressed concern over increasing cost of litigation and asked the lawyers fraternity to fully support free legal services via Legal Aid Cells to the poor.
"Court fees and high fees of lawyers make legal services unaffordable for many. These aspects need consideration. ...Several steps to make free legal service available for the poor ...have been taken.”
"Legal Aid Cells, however, require the full support of the legal fraternity," Patil said while addressing the Golden Jubliee celebrations of the Karnataka State Bar Council.
Approaching a court remains a daunting task for many, since navigation through the legal processes is not only complex but also expensive, she said.
The President also asked lawyers to find time to provide legal services to the vulnerable and the poor.
Stressing on the need to set up village-level courts, Patil said: "We should also move forward decisively to establish Gram Nyayalays at the grass roots level. This would provide access to justice at their doorsteps."
Such Gram Nyayalayas would also address many difficulties of the rural population, in particular, commuting to and from courts, she added.
Patil also said lawyers also faced new challenges of cyber crime and hacking.
On legal ethics, she noted: "The legal profession requires strict confidentiality. It is a must to honour this code. People confide in lawyers, and this confidence should never be betrayed".
The President said it would greatly help the future litigation scenario, if ‘frivolous’ cases are avoided to reduce the burden on the judiciary.
The President also mentioned that judges, lawyers, litigants and investigating agencies have a role to play in ensuring that justice is dispensed in a timely and inexpensive manner, which at the same time is fair.