India to urge UN to declare ‘International Justice Day’

New Delhi: India is likely to take up with the United Nations for declaring one day in a year as the “International Day for Justice” (IDJ) with a view to reminding the member countries to provide easy access to justice to the citizens.

This is a sequel to a representation made by Supreme Court advocate Ravinder Raj to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge the UN to consider passing a resolution for declaring one day as International Day for justice.

The lawyer wrote to the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres for celebration of International Day for Justice to inspire the quality and pro-people justice in all the nations. He said many of the developed, developing and undeveloped democracies are seemingly rendering injustice to their innocent, untrained, uneducated, weak and resources less population through the hegemony prevalent in the system, thus violating the cardinal values of cherished principles of natural justice.

Mr Raj pointed out that justice delayed is justice denied. Further, justice must not only be done but it must appear to have been done. In most of the countries, there is no transparency or accountability in the justice delivery system and as a result people are denied justice. He said by declaring a day in a year as IDJ, the United Nations can ensure that access to justice is provided to all.

In response to this letter, the office of the UN secretary general said normally such declarations are done on the basis of resolutions passed in the General Assembly on the request of any one or more member countries.

Hence, the United Nations asked the lawyer to persuade India to send a request in this regard for the consideration of the UN.

Accordingly, Mr Raj sent a representation to the Prime Minister Modi to pursue the matter further and he has received acknowledgement from the Prime Minister’s Office. According to Mr Raj, it is likely that the matter will be taken up with the UN soon.