Hon'ble Mr. Justice Altamas Kabir, Judge Supreme Court of India and the Executive Chairman, National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) visited Aizawl yesterday. Justice Altamas Kabir and Lal Thanhawla, Mizoram Chief Minister attended Legal Awareness and Inter Departmental Conference, organized by National Legal Services Authority and Mizoram State Legal Services Authority at Tourist Lodge, Chaltlang. Justice H. Baruah Judge, Gauhati High Court &  Executive Chairman, Mizoram State Legal Services Authority delivered the welcome address.

Addressing the conference, Justice Altamas Kabir stated that he visit Mizoram under two hats - as a Supreme Court Judge and as an Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and that the judiciary and NALSA are different but are complementary to each other. He mentioned that the present infrastructure of judiciary system in India is not sufficient and arrear cases are piling up. To deal each and every case is an unnecessary waste of time for the judiciary as well as a waste of government exchequer. As such,  he felt that Alternate Dispute Redressal such as Lok Adalat is needed for faster delivery of justice to all, and for this the  public and NGOs are very important,  he added. Justice Kabir also stated that institutions such as Lok Adalat, Mediation Center and Legal Aid Clinic must be set up throughout the country to create legal awareness to the people so that they know how to claim their rights, and to solve various legal problems of the citizens across the country.

Lal Thanhawla addressed the conference and stated that a Mediation Center had been set up in Aizawl, Family Courts were set up in four District headquarters and  District Legal Services Authorities in all the districts of Mizoram. He also mentioned that Mizoram is the first to implement separate judiciary,  including in the Autonomous District Councils under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India. The CM said that a strong, reformist and cooperative judiciary is needed to contain the growing menaces of corruption, drug abuse, drug trafficking, child trafficking and infiltrations through Bangladesh and Myanmar borders. He expressed the need for separate courts for administration of  Union Laws and for that of  State Laws as provided in Article 247 of the Constitution to solve the problem of huge pendency of court cases and lack of adequate fundings for infrastructural development of the judiciary. He added that he hope for meaningful legal awareness programs in the future from State Judicial Academies to be set up as per the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission.

The conference was also addressed by Chawngtinthanga, Parliamentary Secretary and Mrs. Minna Kabir, Child Rights Activist. Cultural Programme followed and State Dinner concluded the conference.

Justice Altamas Kabir had a meeting this morning at Raj Bhavan with Mizoram Governor Lt. Gen (Rtd.) M.M. Lakhera, PVSM,AVSM,VSM.