TRAFFIC India conducts pioneering orientation and awareness programme for premier judicial institute in New Delhi

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Orientation for Judicial Officers on Environmental and Wildlife laws at the

Delhi Judicial Academy

 

The Delhi Judicial Academy invited TRAFFIC India to conduct a one-day

orientation programme on environmental and wildlife law for 83 trainee

judicial officers on 30 March 2010. The purpose of this programme was to

provide an overview on the current status of forest and wildlife policies

and legislations and to raise awareness on the field situation and

challenges of wildlife conservation in India.

 

The Hon. Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Shri Madan Lokur graced the

occasion along with Shri A K Mukherji, Former Director General of Forests

and Special Secretary, Government of India; Shri Samir Sinha, Head-TRAFFIC

India; Prof. (Dr.) Ved Kumari, Chairperson DJA; Ms. Anu Malhotra, DHJS

(Delhi Higher Judicial Services) and Director-DJA; Shri Alok Agarwal, DHJS

and Joint Director-DJA; Shri Mahendra Vyas, Advocate and Member of the

Central Empowered Committee, Supreme Court of India, Shri A D N Rao,

Advocate-Supreme Court of India and Amicus Curie, Shri Ritwick Dutta,

Advocate Supreme Court of India and other senior officials of the Delhi

Judicial Academy.

 

The content of the programme included detailed sessions on issues of

forestry conservation in India, overview of illegal wildlife trade in India,

environmental law in India, an overview of the Gowdavarman case, and on the

Supreme Court and Biodiversity Conservation in India.

 

While inaugurating the programme, Hon. Chief Justice Shri Madan Lokur said,

“So far legal matters related to environment and forests have largely been

restricted to High Courts and Supreme Court. There is a crying need for

other courts to take cognizance of the importance of such issues.”

 

He further stated, “The powers vested with the judicial officers allow them

to play a pivotal role in changing the mindsets of society towards various

issues and especially those that may not have immediate direct impact on the

lives of people like environment and wildlife. He therefore encouraged the

officers to understand the environmental and wildlife laws and exercise

decisions which help ensure ecological security for future generations.”

 

Shri Samir Sinha, Head of TRAFFIC India while providing an overview of the

illegal wildlife trade in India further emphasized on the need to have

judicial support for curbing wildlife crime in India.

 

Shri Mahendra Vyas, Advocate and Member of Central Empowered Committee too

reminded all judicial officers of the enormous responsibility they bore in

saving the natural heritage of the country.

 

This training is part of a module being conducted in collaboration with the

Wildlife Institute of India. Phase II of this programme will be conducted in

Dehradun at the Wildlife Institute of India along with a field trip to the

Rajaji National Park.

 

Regards

 

Programme Officer

TRAFFIC India

WWF India Secretariat

172-B, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003, India

Tel: +91-11-41504786, Fax: +91-11-43516200

Visit us at " www.traffic.org "

 

TRAFFIC- the wildlife trade monitoring network- is a joint programme of WWF

and IUCN-The World Conservation Union. It works to ensure that trade in wild

plants and animals is not a threat to conservation of nature.