Dimapur: Justice Y. Longkumer, Judge of the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench in Nagaland, on Friday called for deeper engagement with the law, greater professional development, and a renewed commitment to justice from lawyers.
She emphasized that panel lawyers, who often serve as the first line of access to justice for the marginalized and under-represented, now play a unique and essential role as educators, advisors, and counsellors for ordinary citizens, especially as the Indian legal system undergoes a pivotal transition with the introduction of new criminal laws.
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Justice Longkumer was speaking at a one-day orientation programme organized by the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority on the new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), for panel/retainer lawyers and Legal Aid Defence Counsel System lawyers in Kohima.
She noted that the Indian criminal justice system is experiencing significant reforms, as the BNS, BNSS, and BSA replace the IPC, CrPC, and the Indian Evidence Act.
“These new legislative reforms are not merely cosmetic changes but represent a new way of thinking about how the justice system is perceived, delivered, and experienced by common citizens,” Justice Longkumer said.
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She reiterated that lawyers serving on the legal services panel often act as the primary access point to justice for the marginalized and underrepresented, making their role more critical than ever.
“You must learn to adapt to changes with professionalism. As with any legal transition, there will be challenges and uncertainties in interpretation,” the judge remarked.
Addressing the practical difficulties in the transition, Justice Longkumer also cited the presence of varied interpretations, sources of confusion, and the practical burden of unlearning old laws and relearning the new ones.
She observed that lawyers must now shift their mindset and begin unlearning the IPC and CrPC, and start embracing the new legal framework.