Undertrials to interact with legal aid counsel through video-conferencing

Panchkula, February 7

To make process of interaction between undertrial prisoners and their legal-aid counsels easier, the District Legal Aid Services Authority (DLSA) has started video conferencing at the District ADR Centre, Panchkula. 

It was consistent grievance of jail inmates that they did not get proper time to interact with their legal-aid counsels, said Vivek Goyal, Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Secretary, District Legal Services Authority. 

It was also felt that sometimes advocates had to discuss cases with undertrials, but as prisoners of Panchkula district were lodged at Central Jail in Ambala their counsels faced difficulty in getting proper information from them, he added. 

The Supreme Court of India also vide order dated August 14, 2018, has directed all legal services authorities/committees in every state to extend video conferencing facility so that undertrials could interact with their counsels, he said. 

“Advocates will be able to interact with undertrials twice in a month,” he added.