NHRC's pilot project aims to improve access to justice for prisoners in Delhi

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has embarked upon a pilot project to improve access to justice to the prisoners in sixteen jails of Delhi through a legal aid system by fostering a sense of public service amongst the law students.

For this, the NHRC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Prisons, National Law University Delhi and Delhi State Legal Service Authority.

The aim of this collaborative exercise is also to promote and protect the human rights of prisoners besides inculcating professionalism among law students.

The students from NLU Delhi may now assist the prisoners in filing bail applications and appeals and other research work that may help the court with factual information and ensure early justice to the inmates under the supervision of the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA).

The NHRC will monitor the coordination, training and payment of stipend to the students; the NLU Delhi will nominate 48 third-year students and above and will allow them to visit prisons under the supervision of the Legal Aid Counsel of the DSLSA for one week every month for a year.

The students will assist the DSLSA in spreading the legal awareness, legal research, drafting, representation of cases before the court of law under the DSLSA empanelled lawyers.

DSLSA, besides the supervision of students for conducting the survey of jail inmates, will appoint an advocate in each of 16 jails of Delhi for this purpose.

After the certification of the services of the students, they will be paid Rs 300 per day conveyance allowance.

The Delhi prisons will provide legal access to the inmates under guided supervision and accessibility to the students with them.

( With inputs from ANI )