New Delhi: The legal fraternity and an impoverished litigant witnessed a humane side of the Supreme Court on Thursday when a judge of the apex court came to the aid of a woman who could not afford a lawyer.
A lawyer present in court number 11 on that day told ETV Bharat that when Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice CT Ravi Kumar commenced the hearing of the case from Rajasthan regarding a property dispute, they faced a rather unique situation. Instead of a lawyer, the litigant, a woman was ready to argue the case for herself. The woman, Geeta Devi who was having a property dispute with her brother Daulat Ram approached the Supreme Court after the case was heard for a long time by the lower courts.
"When Justice Rastogi asked Geeta where was her lawyer, she said that she will argue the case herself as she could not afford one," the lawyer said. When she started to present her case, the judges were in for another surprise. The sharpness of her legal argument surprised the judges. The prolonged legal battle at the lower court had made her well-versed in legal arguments even though she did not have a law degree.
Justice Rastogi told her that even though he can understand her argument in Hindi but his fellow judges who are from South India are unable to understand it. When Geeta expressed her inability to speak in English, Justice Rastogi asked whether anyone in the courtroom can translate her argument into English. As no one came forward, Justice Rastogi took up the task himself.
Earlier, Justice Rastogi asked Geeta who were her lawyers in the lower courts. She said that at that time her case was always argued by public prosecutors who never put much effort into it. After saying that the lawyers were not much of a help to her, Geeta urged the lawyers present in the courtroom not to get offended. She said that she was referring only to a section of lawyers and not to all of them. "Justice Rastogi assured her that the court would provide her with a lawyer," the lawyer said.
Supreme Court lawyer Sandeep Mishra says that in the preamble of the Constitution itself, it has been provided that the state will provide social, economic and political justice. "Right to justice is one of the fundamental rights," he said.
"Article 39A of the Constitution provides that if a person does not have the money to hire a lawyer, there is a provision to provide him with a lawyer at the expense of the government, even if the accused has not expressed his desire for a lawyer. For this, legal services authorities provide free legal aid at every level of the judiciary," added Mishra.
