LEGAL LITERACY CLUBS TO BE OPENED IN HARYANA SCHOOLS

LEGAL LITERACY CLUBS TO BE OPENED IN HARYANA SCHOOLS

With a view to provide legal literacy to the youth, Haryana State Legal Services Authority (HALSA), in collaboration with the State's Education Department, is taking steps to open Legal Literacy Clubs in all private schools, colleges and technical institutions. Lessons in law will also be introduced in the curriculum of schools and colleges from the next academic session. Legal literacy clubs have already been opened in 1,544 schools and 171 colleges in Haryana, said Justice A K Sikri, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana high court while speaking at a function at Judicial Courts Complex, Ambala, on 4^th October,2012.

Justice Sikri, who is also patron-in-chief, HALSA, laid the foundation stone of Haryana's eighth District Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre at Ambala. Speaking on the occasion, Justice Sikri said that the concept of opening these ADR centres aimed at having a permanent single place, where the disputes could be resolved by any of the of the ADR like arbitration, conciliation, Lok Adalat or mediation. These centres would help in ensuring quick settlements out of court, which were informal in nature, he said, adding, district ADR Centres would play an important role in legal aid and legal service sector. On this occasion, Justice Sikri also released a book entitled as "Jan Kalyankari Yojnao ka Sangreh", which is a compilation of various welfare schemes of the Government. Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge, Justice Jasbir Singh spoke about the importance and necessity of legal services and legal aid. Another Judge of the High Court Justice S K Mittal said that in order to improve alternative dispute resolution mechanism, HALSA has decided to set up District ADR Centres in all judicial districts of Haryana, out of the funds provided by 13th Finance Commission.

Prof. John Kurakar