Newmai News Network
Kohima | December 13
The governor of Nagaland K. Sankaranarayanan has said that, while “Naga customary laws” have played a very important role for many years in Naga society, but it is time that “as population increases and society becomes more complex, we will need to bring in legal processes that ensure justice and fair play.”
Sankaranarayanan was addressing the 4th general conference of the Nagaland Law Students Federation held under the theme ‘Professional Ethics and the scope of application of customary laws in the state of Nagaland’ at ATI Complex, Kohima on December 12. The governor said the fundamental principles on which both customary laws and modern legal processes ‘see eye to eye’ are the principle of natural justice. The governor said customary laws should be safeguarded while making laws as enshrined in the constitution of India and hoped that the law students and other legal brains would dwell on these issues and come up with some solution.
He also said, law students in Nagaland have a big role to play as the legal system evolves the traditional customary system to one based on modern court systems. With the separation of the executive from the judiciary in the state, he said, professionals with legal backgrounds would be required to play a vital role in establishing the judicial systems. He hoped that the law college students would rise to the occasion and contribute to establishment of a rich legal culture in the state.
‘Across the country, legal brains have contributed to many welfare measures and have even improved governance by innovative use of measure like Public Interest Litigations. Right to Information has opened new avenues,’ the governor reminded. This has opened new avenues and has given a tool in the hands of citizens that can bring in accountability in government departments and systems, he said.
In his presidential address, president of the Nagaland Law Students Federation, T Lima said that the organization came into being in the year 1998 with the motto ‘Justice for All’ and is still at the nascent stage. ‘We live in a world where true justice is hard to come by and it is their duty as lawyers to disseminate knowledge to the lowest level and through this, empower them to fight with conviction against all forms of injustice and thereby achieve an egalitarian society,’ he said.
