Accessing the justice system is an integral part of accessing justice. While the Indian Justice System is democratic, based on our Indian Constitution, its access is quite difficult for a large part of the population. It is important for youth – especially those belonging to marginalized, minority, NT-DNT identities – to understand how to access the police, lawyers, courts, etc. It is important to spell out this legal process in practical terms – whom to approach for different cases in a police station, different departments in a police station, special officers, what to do if we are accused of a crime whether true or untrue, how to ensure a complaint is taken, etc. which is important not just for technical knowledge but more importantly getting mentally prepared in case of facing a crime or being an accused.
We had Advocate Trupti Patil who came in for a session on “How to Access the Police” with youth from Kolegaon and Vitthalwadi;
Advocate Darshan Ingole with youth, women and men in Rahtoli, Badlapur;
And Advocate Prashant Jadhav for a similar session with women in Kolegaon, Dombivali and in Ambernath Circus Ground.