Srinagar, Feb 17: Reiterating that “justice delayed is justice denied,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday called for strengthening the Tele-Law service to ensure timely justice, reduce unnecessary litigation and ease mounting pressure on courts.
Addressing the Regional Workshop on Tele-Law at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here, the Chief Minister, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), stressed that only those cases which genuinely require judicial intervention should reach courts, while other disputes should be resolved through legal awareness, counselling and mediation facilitated by technology.
The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, under the Tele-Law initiative of the DISHA (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice) scheme, implemented by the Department of Justice.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. If it takes more time to get justice, it is equivalent to not getting justice,” the Chief Minister said, underlining that pendency remains a major challenge for the judiciary across the country.
He called for a three-fold strategy to tackle backlog: speedy disposal of cases being filed, reduction of existing pendency and most importantly, ensuring that fewer avoidable new cases reach the courts.
“Only those cases should come to court where judicial hearing is necessary. Tele-Law helps by explaining the law, informing people about their rights and promoting mediation. If disputes are resolved before reaching court, the burden on courts will automatically come down,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of technology-enabled access to justice, the Chief Minister said Tele-Law connects citizens, particularly in rural and remote areas with qualified lawyers through digital platforms, enabling them to seek legal advice without physically travelling long distances.
He stressed the need to expand pro-bono legal support under the initiative. “We must connect more lawyers on a pro-bono basis so that everyone gets justice at the right time and in the right place. After this workshop, together with the Government of India and the Ministry of Justice, we should see how this scheme can be strengthened and expanded further,” he said.
The Chief Minister also pointed out that while urban populations have relatively easier access to legal services, people living in far-flung areas often lack awareness about their rights and available legal remedies.
“For those in remote areas, reaching a lawyer is not easy. Tele-Law bridges this gap and ensures that legal assistance reaches their doorstep through technology,” he said.
Sharing data on the scheme’s progress in Jammu & Kashmir, the CM said that Tele-Law, which initially covered only two districts, has now expanded to all 20 districts of the Union Territory. More than 4,000 panchayats are currently being covered and over 7.5 lakh legal advices have been delivered so far.
However, he said numbers alone do not define success. “We must assess whether this outreach is sufficient in proportion to our population and whether we can do more. The purpose of this workshop is to evaluate our performance, compare it with other states and adopt best practices wherever needed,” he said.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the role of Common Service Centres (CSCs) in implementing the initiative, noting that Tele-Law has provided them with additional work opportunities and enhanced their sustainability.
“If we can further strengthen Tele-Law through such deliberations, we will be able to reach more people and significantly reduce the pressure on courts,” he added, terming the workshop an important step towards inclusive and accessible justice delivery.
Meanwhile, the event was also addressed by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Justice Arun Palli, Secretary Law & Justice, Government of India Niraj Verma, besides senior officials and stakeholders. (KNO)
