Training on synergy between customary practices & formal law

Source:-https://arunachaltimes.in

ITANAGAR, Nov 23: The Arunachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority (APSLSA), in association with the Department of Justice (DoJ), Ministry of Law & Justice conducted an online refresher training course on synergy between customary practices and formal law for the gaon burahs (GBs) of Arunachal Pradesh on 23 November.

Law & Judicial department’s Deputy Secretary Dani Belo spoke on the importance and relevance of GB institutions and asked the GBs to be ears and eyes of the government to help run the administration smoothly. Belo also spoke on the topic ‘Village Authority under Assam Frontier (Administration of Justice) Regulation, 1945’.

High Court advocate Sunil Mow spoke on ‘The Schedule Tribes & Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 with special reference to Arunachal Pradesh’.

He highlighted the systematic encroachment of tribal lands by the forest department under the guise of Reserved Forest and implored the GBs to protect the lands still under their control, by educating themselves on the laws that protect their rights.

He also suggested introduction of provisions similar to that being offered to tribal communities protected under 5th Schedule of the Constitution with regards to ownership of land and its resources as a solution.

APSLSA project consultant Marie Riba, who was previously associated with an international NGO on cases related to child trafficking shared her expertise on the ‘Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012’.

She held an interactive session, drawing examples from numerous case studies, while also laying out the sensitive nature of the cases involved, informing the attendee’s on how best to asses and deal with situations pertaining to the particular case.

APSLSA Legal Aid Counsel Raknu Konya spoke on ‘Marriage Registration under Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Arunachal Pradesh Recording of Marriage Act, 2008’, while HC advocate Jumgam Jini conducted a session on ‘Protection of Women from Domestic violence Act, 2005’.

Earlier, APSLSA Member Secretary Jaweplu Chai explained about the National Legal Services Authority’s project, Access to Justice for Al” and the role APSLSA and its subsidiaries play in the implementation of this project.

The event was hosted from the APSLSA’s office here and attended by Model Village HGB Techi Murkhi to represent the GBs of Papum Pare region.

More than 200 GBs logged in for the programme from 20 different districts, according to an APSLSA release.