Legal Aid centre for Kantale

Sarath Malalasekera

The Legal Aid Commission (LAC) opened its 45th Centre at Kantale Magistrate’s Court Complex premises recently.

The Centre was opened by LAC Chairman S. S. Wijeratne with the participation of Kantale Magistrate A.M.D.S. Dikkapitiya and LAC Director General Justice Hector S. Yapa.

The Kantale Magistrate Dikkapitiya addressing the gathering said that a significant gap in protection of women and girls, is the absence of a safe place for the protection of child victims of sexual abuse.

The Court was therefore compelled to keep them under protective custody which was not the best solution. The Kantale Magistrate paid tribute to LAC Chairman S.S. Wijeratne for setting-up a LAC Centre in Kantale as this would facilitate the under privilege young victims to receive legal advice and representation.

Kantale LAC Centre is the sixth Legal Aid Centre in the Eastern Province. Earlier the LAC Centres were set-up in Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Kalmunai, Ampara and Akkaraipattu.

LAC Chairman S. S. Wijeratne addressing the gathering said that the Legal Aid Centres are meeting legal needs of the indigent people and the internally displaced persons both from the Tsunami and the military conflicts.

The other two Magistrate Courts -Muttur and Valachchenai are covered by LAC Legal Aid lawyers from Trincomalee and Batticaloa.

These courts have a high concentration of Tsunami survivors who could not be assisted earlier due to the civil conflict, the LAC Chairman added.

The LAC Chairman emphasised that Kantale Division contain a multi-ethnic population and human rights based access to justice program was an essential pre requisite.

The LAC Chairman also promised to extend three day Grama Niladhari training program of the LAC/ADRI to Kantale Division which has covered the other Divisions of the Eastern Province.

The LAC Director-General Justice Hector S. Yapa thanked the Kantale Magistrate and the Kantale Court staff for their assistance rendered to set up the much needed LAC Centre.

Kantale Divisional Secretary, Senior and Junior Police personnel and Garama Niladharies of the area also participated. Vote of thanks was delivered by Legal Co-ordinater of the Kantale LAC Centre Menaka Damayanthi.