By Adv. Govind Chaturvedi ,Legal Advisor– HelpingBrainz.In
The “Common Man” is confusing and abstract term. A common man is what you see in the mirror, it is any individual living in the society coming from diverse economic background, race, ethnicity, religion or even region. But at times this simple duty and insecurity can result in a lifetime of fight. Each individual has been provided certain rights, a common man greatest responsibility lies in the fact that he has to respect the rights of the others, his only problem is that others do not respect his. That is his biggest insecurity. The same innocent soul who abides by the law to protect himself and his loved ones can turn vulnerable when wronged or cheated. However it must be remembered that the law is not the one whop would ever cheat, it is the law maker who at times bend, beat and worse breaks the rules to suit his/her own selfish needs. Therefore the same common man, who is the law-maker, is also the law abider and at times the law breaker.
The latest additions by the judiciary for benefiting the “aam admi” and creating a user-friendly legal assistance is commendable. First in this context is The Right to Information Act effective from 12th October, 2005. The said act aims at promoting transparency and accountability of officials working for the Central or State Information Commission by making them answerable to common man’s question ranging in the premises of public services on filing of a petition, thereby making an attempt to negate corruption, aptly using the tool of democracy. The next initiative aims at spreading awareness among citizens to combat consumer fraud in an inexpensive and hassle-free manner namely Consumer Protection Act, 1986. Based on the legal dictum “Caveat Emptor”- Consumer’s beware; the act protects the customers by providing simple precautions they should take while buying goods or getting services and the documentation they should preserve in case of a need to approach the consumer court.
Yet again, to some “law” and “justice” are synonyms- two sides of a same coin, the cause and the effect. Law is the tool by which Justice is preserved. And here arises the Question, For Whom? And the answer lies in the saying “Law exists on purpose of Common Man”
