The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Jammu in collaboration with Criminologist Society today organized day-long seminar on the theme, “Making Criminal Justice System Work and Rule of Law Established in India: A Reappraisal of our policies and concepts about crime and its solutions.”Judge, Supreme Court of India Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel was the chief guest on the occasion while as Justice Yaqoob Ahmad Mir presided over the function. Justice J.R Kotwal and Justice Sanjeev Shukla were the Guests of Honour in the seminar.In his welcome address, President of the Association, Sr. Advocate B.S Slathia stressed on the importance of the theme and the need for a detailed interaction between the learned judges and lawyers on problems not only of common interest but problems facing the general public as well. The seminar was organised to debate, discuss and sort out issues relating to the criminal justice system, he added.He further informed that though the fundamental duty of the Bar Association has been the welfare of the legal fraternity and to surmount the problems it faces from time to time, yet the Association has never held itself aloof from the nation-centric issues and the genuine issues facing the people of the Jammu province in particular and the state in general.He stated that the Dogra rulers adopted all the progressive laws to mitigate the hardships of the litigants.
Ours was the state which as early as in 1913 separated judiciary from the executive to avoid overlapping of jurisdiction that had been causing troubles to the litigants and also making the justice system expansive, he stressed.He further said that Late Maharaja Hari Singh was a great visionary leader of the state who not only established a full-fledged High Court of Judicature in the year 1928 but also J&K Bank in 1938 and SMGS Hospital in 1940 for the welfare of the people of the state.Speaking on the occasion, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel stated that at one point of time as is evident from a Book ‘Rajtrangni’ that the society of J&K state was crime free but with the passage of time especially after the British Rule in India, the crime and criminal activity could find place not only in the state but rest of the country as well.He appreciated the initiative of Criminologist Society in proposing remedial measures for eradicating the crime and its sources for commission of crime by resorting to Yogic exercises.Justice Goel said that crimes like cyber crime, drug peddling, social crimes are increasing which demand to take preventive measures and to create awareness among people to minimize crime.
While addressing the gathering, Justice Mohd Yaqoob Mir emphasized to provide high respect to women in the society. Women is a pillar of society and is axis to development of the society she bears responsibilities of different stages in her life and stands with all roles and shades but the increasing crime rate against women folk is shocking he added.In the seminar, Justice Shukla expressed his view point vis-i-vis the media trial. He explained that the Law Books nowhere recognize the word media trial rather he termed it as a Trial by Media. He had all appreciations for Print as well as Electronic Media but at the same time cautioned that Article 21 of the Constitution of India though acknowledges freedom of speech but nowhere accords sanction for Trial by Media.Advisor to the Criminologist Society Advocate B.S Manhas informed the gathering about the activities being carried out by the Society for the last about 20 years which led to its international recognition and also encouraged its members to further expand its activities throughout the country.Vice President of the society, Advocate Sachin Gupta presented the Vote of thanks to all the participants in the seminar.