The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Solve shortcomings of legal system, says Minister

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Sunday, Oct 29, 2006
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Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Solve shortcomings of legal system, says Minister

Staff Reporter

Government decides in principle to increase welfare fund for lawyers

LIVELY CHAT: Minister for Law M. Vijayakumar, left, K.S. Radhakrishnan, centre, Judge, Kerala High Court, and Minister for Revenue K.P. Rajendran at the valedictory session of the programmes organised by the Bar Council of Kerala as part of the golde n jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court in Kochi on Saturday. — Photo: H. Vibhu

KOCHI: Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs M. Vijayakumar has said that the judiciary and the executive should function in a complementary manner for the maximum benefit of people.

Mr. Vijayakumar was speaking as chief guest at the valedictory session of the programmes organised by the Bar Council of Kerala as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court.

He said the State Government had decided, in principle, to increase the welfare fund for lawyers. Advocate clerks would also benefit from it, and the formal announcement would be made on an appropriate occasion.

The Minister said the law reforms commission proposed to be formed would help to modify the judicial system, according to the needs of the times. Solving shortcomings of the legal system and improving legal literacy were important to strengthen the judiciary.

Deploring court verdicts that did not consider the interests of the public, the Minister said the legal system should exist for the benefit of the people.

Surplus land

Minister for Revenue K.P. Rajendran, who offered felicitations, said the courts should cooperate with the Government to solve pending cases related to surplus land.

This would help to achieve the target of distributing these tracts to landless people in the golden jubilee year of the State's formation.

He said 26,880 cases related to surplus land, many of them more than 25 years old, were pending. Without taking over the land, distribution could not be completed.

The Minister said an effort should be made by the courts and the Government to ensure that marginalised people got the land.

Public opinion should reflect in the verdicts of the courts, he added.

Inaugurating the valedictory function, the Kerala High Court Judge K.S. Radhakrishnan said the Bar council should take the initiative to avoid new laws from being challenged in the courts.

For this, he suggested a system, such as a lawyers' judicial academy, to discuss new laws and plug loopholes in them.

P.G. Thambi, chairman of the council and Director-General of Prosecution, presided over the function.

Sukumar Azhikode, critic; Kerala Press Academy chairman Thomas Jacob; and Christabelle, Principal, St. Teresa's College, Ernakulam; offered felicitations.

The former council chairman M. Gopakumaran Nair welcomed the gathering. Ashok Singh Cheriyan, council member, proposed a vote of thanks.

In the morning, a seminar on "Gandhian philosophy and its relevance," presented by students of the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, was held, followed by presentations of select decisions of the High Court by the students of the Cochin University of Science and Technology.

A seminar on "Quality of legal services — seniors' duty to ensure ethical control" was held in the afternoon.

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