Kohima District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) organised one-day legal awareness programme for the patients at Kripa Foundation, Kohima with Legal aid counsel V. Ashu Theyo, panel lawyer, Sunjib Rana and lawyer, Neiteo Koza.
Speaking on “ Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act and Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition(NLTP) Act,“ V. Ashu Theyo said that with the enactment of NLTP Act in Nagaland the buying, selling or consumption of liquor was totally prohibited and breach of the provisions of the Act would invite heavy penalty.
As per the NDPS Act, Theyo informed that any person consuming or selling ganja, brown sugar, opium and other prohibited drugs would be liable to maximum punishment of 20 years. He also urged the patients to adopt healthy habits in order to fight the harmful habits.
Panel lawyer Sunjib Rana, speaking on “Rights of Prisoners,” stated that anyone, arrested for any offence, has a right to be represented by a lawyer and the arrested person has a right to remain silent after his arrest and 3rd degree punishment was prohibited to be used against the arrested person. He further said that the arrested person has to be produced before the Judicial Magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest and only then police could pray for remand of the arrested person.
Panel lawyer Neiteo Koza spoke on “Laws of Consent, Confidentiality and Discrimination.”
Kezo stated that based on the autonomy and bodily integrity every person has a right to determine what should be done to his body. She said that all medical treatment and surgical procedure involve interference with the body therefore consent was required; consent could be given by any adult and in the case of minors and mentally challenged the parents or guardian can give before any medical treatment or surgical procedure was conducted.
She also dwelled on the various aspects of doctor-patient confidentiality, discrimination against patients etc.
“A patient suffering from any ailment has a right to get treatment and no person can be denied employment in the public sectors just because he/she is suffering from HIV/AIDS and that person living with HIV/AIDS can use a pseudonym before the courts if they do not want to disclose their identity,” she informed.
Earlier, the programme was chaired by panel lawyer Temsu Walling while councillor, Kripa Foundation, Kohima, Bange, delivered the welcome address.