Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, who is retiring next month from the country’s highest judiciary position, on Sunday called upon the people in general not to have an emotional attraction towards litigation and, instead, suggested that litigants make an effort if the litigation can be solved otherwise.
“You are welcome to litigate. But do not romance with litigation,” he said, adding that the courts welcome people to litigate if they have any grievance. “I do not suggest for a moment that you should not fight for a cause. But when the cause is small and can be solved otherwise then solve it. Because that also serves the purpose of access to justice,” he said.
The Chief Justice was speaking here after unveiling the foundation-stone of a permanent building of the Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) and e-inauguration of legal assistance establishment “Nyaya Sanjog” in all the 30 districts of the State. He also inaugurated computerisation of 150 School Legal Literacy Clubs spread across the State.
Pursuant to the guidelines received from the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), the OSLSA is running Legal Literacy Clubs in at least 746 High Schools. Out of these, five schools each from all 30 districts, have now been equipped with one computer with internet facilities and other necessary legal kits to spread legal literacy among youths.
Sometimes, the school and college students can be extremely helpful in solving the litigations, the Chief Justice said. “We involve students to mediate, to talk to the litigants and even to talk to the under-trial prisoners in getting benefits of ‘Plea Bargaining’ as postulated in CrPC,” Justice Misra said, calling upon the students to grow legally literate.
Orissa High Court Chief Justice KS Jhaveri, Executive chairman of OSLSA Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Sanju Panda, chairperson of High Court Legal Services Committee, also spoke on the occasion.