iProbono launches Appellate Panel for survivors of child sexual abuse; Justice Ravindra Bhat presides over event

iProbono, in collaboration with Counsel to Secure Justice, (CSJ) launched its Appellate Panel of pro bono lawyers to provide legal assistance to child survivors of sexual abuse on Wednesday. The event was held at Delhi’s India International Centre and was presided by Delhi High Court judge Justice Ravindra Bhat. Senior Advocates Meenakshi Arora, Raju Ramachandran and Sidharth Luthra were also present..During the event, the panellists discussed ways in which lawyers could make crucial changes in order to facilitate access to justice for survivors of sexual abuse. According to a press release, the panellists noted that the intervention by the courts into matters of sexual abuse was previously unknown and that there was no network to consolidate efforts..Sharing his thoughts on pro bono work, Raju Ramachandran said,.“Earlier, the idea of legal aid was almost unknown and hence there was no formal, institutionalised structure. We have come a very long way since then. It’s a part of everyone’s social conscience – to give freely of their professional time and do pro bono work. When courts designate lawyers as senior advocates, their pro bono work should be an important consideration.”.Also present was a parent of a child abuse victim, who shared her experience as a litigant and reflected on her personal struggles with the criminal justice system. She recounted the humiliating cross-examination that her child had to suffer, at the tender age of 4 years..Meenakshi Arora, who represented women’s organisations in the landmark Vishakha case, said,.“It’s appalling that [the parent] and her daughter had to face this. We need to have proper systems in place and awareness for lawyers so that they treat victims and their families with the respect that they deserve.”.The Appellant Panel, applications for which were called for last month, consists of two panels – one for the Supreme Court and another at the High Court level. The Supreme Court panel has six lawyers, three of whom are Advocates-on-Record, whereas the High Court panel comprises ten lawyers..Supreme Court Panel.[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”25135″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”style”:”width: 272px; height: 157px; margin-left: 250px; margin-right: 250px;”,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]].High Court Panel.[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”25136″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”style”:”width: 270px; height: 234px; margin-left: 250px; margin-right: 250px;”,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]