AMBA observed 65th Foundation Day; Governor Najma Haptulla lauded the roles of Bar Association

Imphal, Sept 15: All Manipur Bar Association (AMBA) today observed 65th Foundation Day today at Cheirap Court Complex, Imphal.
Speaking as the Chief Guest of today’s function, Dr Najma Heptulla, Governor of Manipur said that seeing a vibrant bar in the state is very comforting and felt assured that one of the three pillars of Democracy is thriving in the country.
Foundation day has always remained a very significant event for an establishment, an occasion not only for celebration but also for introspection as it provides an opportunity to all the concerned to reflect on the activities of the past as well as to explore the ways and means for overcoming the new challenges to move forward, she added.
“Manipur is considered as a frontrunner in the field of women empowerment as it is heartening to see that women have not lagged behind in the field of justice delivery” said Dr Najma Heptulla.
Dr Najma Heptulla also said that working on a judicial system for dispensation of Justice is not new in Manipur as it already had a well organised justice delivery system.
The present systematic representation of lawyers in the administration of justice began in Manipur after the British left the Indian sub-continent in the year around 1947.
As aware, the edifice of Democracy in the country rests on three pillars namely Legislature, Judiciary and Executive. The essence of true democracy lies only when the three pillars are well balanced as they have definitive roles to play and complementary to each other under the sacrosanct guidelines of the Indian Constitution, she added.
 Dr Najma Heptulla further said that somewhere in the country a large number of pending cases are waiting for disposal though everyone is well aware and conscious of their rights and duties under the law which is a shameful work.
Instead we should make a concerted effort to improve the situation as the dictum says “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Timely delivery of justice should be given the importance, she added.
With the advancement of technology, use of computers, e-mails and internet is increasing today at break-neck pace and so the countless occurrence of cyber crime in the country. To face this challenges of today’s trends, members of bar in the state should get ready.
Manipur being a border state having long international boundary with Myanmar, the state would be having issues involving international law like international environmental law and international criminal law sooner or later. A legal fraternity should also be considering settlement out of courts to face such issues. Abstraction is most important for both national and intestate and internal level which can help in reducing a large number of cases in the courts, said Dr Najma Heptulla.
Encouraging or concrete capacity building initiatives in international law by organizing specialized training programmes, workshops and seminars, Dr Najma Heptulla urge the association to give more importance in providing free legal service to the people as legal fees are increasing day by day and a large number of poor people cannot afford to pay their legal service fees. In such scenario, lawyers should come forward with a certain amount of dedication and scarifies as legal justice is beyond their reach due to higher service fee, she added.
On 15 September of 1951, the Manipur Bar Association came into existence and since then the number of members of the Association and its activities has been increasing day by day. In the year 1993, the Manipur Bar Association was renamed as the All Manipur Bar Association and it has a total membership of more than one thousand and seven hundred members on its roll.
More than 300 women have already been enrolled as a member of the Manipur Bar Association since women members began to enroll in the year 1970.
Senior Advocate H Chandrajit Sharma, President of AMBA, I Hemochandra Singh, Revenue, Law and Legislative Affairs, Forest and Environment Minister of Manipur, Th Ibohal Singh, Advocate General of Manipur, Senior Advocate N Ibotombi Singh, Chairman of Bar Council of Manipur and Senior Advocate Kh Binoykumar Singh, President of High Court Bar Association of Manipur attended the as guests of today’s function respectively.