Generate legal awareness among women, poorer sections: SC judge

Puducherry: Supreme Court Judge, Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya on Saturday called upon lawyers, medical personnel, students and other sections of society to acquaint themselves with provisions of various legislations and then generate legal awareness among people for whom the laws were meant to ensure their protection and to promote their welfare.

He said that a number of legislations meant to take care of women and other weaker sections had been enacted in the country."Their provisions should be imbibed by people for whom the laws are meant and it is the duty of lawyers and students to generate awareness among them about the laws," he said.

Justice Mukopadhya was speaking after rolling out legal awareness programme for college students and declaring open Village Legal Care and Support Centres' of Union Territory of Puducherry Legal Services Authority. Noting that atrocities against women were taking place in the country,he said a legislation to prevent domestic violence had been enforced, which is a penal law.Relief could also be given under the act to affected women and awareness should be created among suffering women to assert their rights and get relief.

He also said that workers in the unorganised sector should be taken care of by framing specific schemes in consonance with the labour legislation enforced in 2008. "No scheme is however framed under the Act to give benefits to the unorganized labourers" he said.

Relief should go to poor labourers engaged in various sectors, including farming, infrastructure development and construction activities, he said. Mukhopadhaya stressed the need to ensure legal aid to the poor and the marginalised sections in society.

Chief Justice of Madras High Court Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and patron in chief of Legal Services Authority, launched the District Legal Services Authority for Karaikal region and legal service news programme of Doordarshan Kendra. He referred to the role played by the Authority to enable people get relief through early resolution of grievances to make people's lives better.