Thread by @lawbarandbench

Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa organizes ceremony for distribution of e-filing and facility centre unit for 384 bar associations.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju is chief guest for the event.

@KirenRijiju #KirenRijiju #BarCouncil #efiling

Chairman of BCMG Milind Patil is giving welcome speech.

#KirenRijiju #BarCouncil #efiling

Patil: This is probably the first occasion where a Union law minister with the cabinet ministers have graced the august gathering for an event of the Bar council.
Maharashtra will lead the country, as this is the first time, that 384 units have been provided to bar associations.

Patil: there have been attacks on the advocates in Maharashtra and other states. Rajasthan government has done something, but I don’t think that is proper position of law. Advocates Act is the central legislation. Please pass Advocates Protection Act to aid legal community.

Patil: Both projects are first from our state, with blessing of the law minister of the country. We have taken important resolution of opposing the same sex marriage move in Supreme Court in support of the Bar Council.

#samesexmarriage #BarCouncil #efiling #kirenrijiju

Advocate General of Goa, Devidas Pangam, addressing the event.

Pangam: Our profession is paper intensive, and once matter is over, the papers are of no use. With advent of technology, this is a step in the right direction for courts to shift to e-filing.

#BarCouncil #efiling

Pangam: I request the Union law minister to amend the Advocates Act, so that the lawyers from Goa get appropriate representation in the Bar council of Maharashtra & Goa.

#BarCouncil #efiling #KirenRijiju #Goa

Advocate General Dr Birendra Saraf (walks to the dias as his turban comes off): Do I look better without it? Difficult to decide!

#BarCouncil #efiling #KirenRijiju #Maharashtra

Saraf: Technology has transformed every aspect of our life. Technology has brought new meaning to common place words.

#BarCouncil #efiling #KirenRijiju #Maharashtra

Saraf: This technology will help in making justice move faster and make it more accessible. Technology opened our eyes to various possibilities. Pandemic surely left us with the idea of technology that justice can still be accessible.

Saraf: Every citizen of the country can sit in any remote village and hear his case in high court and Supreme court.
It helps a student sitting at home to hear arguments in Supreme Court.

#BarCouncil #efiling #KirenRijiju #Maharashtra

Saraf: When I started practice, the pleadings were filed on typewriters. Slowly it changed to computers, laptops and iPads. Ultimately at grass root level, iPads etc, will take time. Government has been a participant, and they have helped with huge funds to bring technology.

Saraf: I would request you all to be a part of this change in the system. I have been requested by lawyers at the Bar to make request to Union Law Minister. There has to be an opportunity created for fresh lawyers to start earning as soon as they graduate.

#BarCouncil

Saraf: There has to be consideration of law even in government departments. It is m humble request to the law minister to grant opportunity to young lawyers that they can be employed and can start earning.

#BarCouncil #efiling #KirenRijiju

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh: No citizen int he country should be deprived of legal help, especially because of financial reason, the constitution says
Are we in a position to fulfil the preamble in the constitution? Judicial services is not like other services.

Singh: It is a mission to serve the others. This e-filing unit will certainly useful for the bar associations. In rural areas, lawyers face difficulties with their phones, and internet. But e-filing requires infrastructure, which I am glad Bar council is providing.

Singh: I am sure the other bar councils will also come up with something. When I was contesting the election, I was always told, Bar councils only give and cancel licenses!
I am proud to be part of such council which has undertaken such a task.

Singh: To meet the challenges of the system, the judges and the lawyers have to work together. Although the power is divided, the motto is to provide justice.
There are 22 lakh lawyers in the country. There may be 1000 in the higher court and 1000 in the lower judiciary.

Singh: There is asuggestion that role of Bar cuncil of state and India will have to be taken into consideration and if they are consulted and lawyers are consulted. Our Union Minister was approve 7000 crores for the unit. The units was helpful to all.

Singh: But to see it works properly and see that it functions, it would be advisable to take suggestion from the lawyers. No scheme would be successful without confidence and support of lawyers.

Bar Council of India Member Jayant Jaibhave requests CM Ekanth Shinde and Union minister Narayan Rane to ensure that a plot of land is alloted to the State Bar Council in Thane for training students to become lawyers and judges.

#BarCouncil #efiling #KirenRijiju @CMOMaharashtra

Chief guest Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurate the efiling and facility centre units for 384 bar associations in Maharashtra & Goa.

@mieknathshinde @Dev_Fadnavis @KirenRijiju

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informs the audience that the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa has given him his license card. Fadnavis has been an enrolled advocate of the State Bar Council.

@Dev_Fadnavis

Fadnavis: We will positively consider the demand for land at Thane. And although our advocate community is strong, it cannot be be denied that there have been incidents against lawyers. We will definitely consider what can be done about this. Either a new act, or other provision.

Fadnavis: Despite being a politician, I can say that citizens have utmost faith in one pillar of democracy, and that is the judiciary. It is crucial for democracy.

#BarCouncil #DevendraFadnavis #efiling #KirenRijiju

Chief guest Union law minister Kiren Rijiju begins his address.

@KirenRijiju @RijijuOffice

Rijiju: I have got some very interesting questions. But to save time, I will make quick reference. There are 5 crore pending cases. Those 500 cases are delayed. You know what delaying of justice means.

#BarCouncil #efiling #kirenrijiju

Rijiju: there are proportionately there are 5 crore injustices being done to people. As a nation it is not a happy sight. It is a challengign moment for me.

#BarCouncil #efiling #kirenrijiju

Rijiju: the pendency rate is not decreasing, but it is increasing. I know how much pendency is rising. The biggest solution to this, is us sitting here to battle that pendency.

#BarCouncil #efiling #kirenrijiju

Rijiju: The Bar council of Maharashtr and Goa is a leader in this regard. My source of inspiration for peace and non-violence is Lord Buddha. When it is a matter of right, I want to do things fearlessly. That comes from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Rijiju: When you take initiative, it impacts the nation. The decision taken by Supreme Court, is being implemented in this State.
The circular was sent to every high court and State is the largest litigator. We as a public sector unit decided that we will undertake e-filing.

Rijiju: This year in budget, on behalf of the the entire legal fraternity, would like to thank the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for granting ₹7000 crores for e-court system.
I do not want to name High Courts, but some of the courts have lagged behind.

Rijiju: Pandemic affected everyone. But our courts did not stop functioning completely. e-court phase 2 made judiciary stronger, and it continued functioning even in lockdown. The doors of justice were never closed, they can never be closed.

Rijiju: PM has suggested we give up the colonial ways. Why should we not use our own languages in our courts! 5 high courts have started using Hindi as the court language. We have the system of instant transcription and translation. We have technology, why not use it.

Rijiju: There are lawyers in Supreme court, who get paid more because they speak good English. There are lawyers who speak in regional languages but they may not get paid more because they do not speak in English. There are lawyers who charge 30-40 lakhs.

Rijiju: But then they think in English, they speak in English. It is good to know all foreign languages, but our thoughts have to be Indian. You may have studied from Harvard, Oxford, but the thought has to be Indian.

Rijiju: Let me now respond to the queries which have come to me. There is a question on the old procedures and laws. I do not want to make any statement here. It will become headline tomorrow. It would be better if it comes from the government.

Rijiju: But all the laws which are prior to 1947 will be changed slowly. We have discarded over 400 redundant laws.

#BarCouncil #KirenRijiju #efiling

Rijiju:We want more women to participate in the judiciary and we want more women judges. We hope the collegium will look into this.

#BarCouncil #KirenRijiju

Rijiju: PM has sanctioned ₹9000 crores for the district judiciary. We have seen that the work in district judiciary has slowed down in pace, but we do not want that to happen.

#BarCouncil #KirenRijiju

RIjiju: We, the Union Ministry of Law does not look after the law colleges. It is individual respective States that look into this issue.

#BarCouncil #KirenRijiju

Rijiju: I have been asked if executive interferes in judiciary. This could be looked at in this way. Interference of judiciary in the executive. I will not say much, just this, the constitution has demarcated all the pillars.

#BarCouncil #KirenRijiju

Rijiju: This present government has not done any work that has undermined the authority of judiciary or interfered in its independence.

#BarCouncil #KirenRijiju

Rijiju: On the co-ordination between bar councils and the bench (place where judges sit). But I always say this, bar and bench are two sides of the same coin.
Bar council is a statutory body and bar associations are of each court.

#BarCouncil #KirenRijiju

Rijiju: The associations work closely with the respective judges. I hope the councils also work as closely with the judges.
I will say to the lawyers here that we are opening up ways for alternative dispute resolution. and not just in India, but also internationally.

Rijiju: We want to make India a hub for arbitration. Ultimately, all of this is to simplify lives of people. The compliances that burdened common people has been reduced. State shouldn’t interfere in everything but only to aid.

#BarCouncil #KirenRijiju

Rijiju: when we have discussions and debates, one thing needs ot be kept in mind. 1947 and next 100 years, we want to see India as a developed country. The biggest enemy to that is people attacking our democracy.

#BarCouncil #KirenRijiju

Rijiju: When people say that judiciary is weak, they are attacking the democracy. Democracy will be strong only when judiciary is strong. A narrative has been set up. There are people going abroad and speaking about it. This is by the liberals who are not liberals.

Rijiju concludes.