HNLU Organises Workshop on Access to Justice for Indigenous Communities
Raipur, August 8, 2026: Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur, organised a one-day workshop focusing on access to justice for indigenous communities and the challenges that affect their participation in legal and constitutional institutions.
The workshop, titled “Auditing Access to Justice for Indigenous Communities: Measuring Inclusion, Accountability, and Transformative Justice,” was organised by the Centre for Law and Indigenous People, HNLU, in collaboration with the Centre for Constitutional Law and Federalism under the CG Learn Programme.
The programme brought together members of the judiciary, academics, legal professionals, researchers, civil society organisations and students to discuss ways of making justice delivery more inclusive and responsive to indigenous communities.
Justice Must Be Affordable and Accessible
The workshop featured Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arvind Kumar Verma, Former Judge of the High Court of Chhattisgarh, as the Chief Guest.
In his inaugural address, Justice Verma highlighted the concept of “sasta, sulabh, swachh nyaya”, stressing that justice should be affordable, accessible and fair. He also emphasised the need for justice mechanisms that understand the cultural and social realities of indigenous communities.
Prof. (Dr.) V. C. Vivekanandan, Vice-Chancellor of HNLU, stated that access to justice should be assessed from the perspective of vulnerable sections of society.
He also suggested several innovative approaches, including:
- Community Justice Fellows
- AI-assisted translation of legal notices into indigenous languages
- Legal Health Clinics
- Mobile Constitutional Caravans
- Indigenous Wisdom Councils
Key Issues Discussed at the Workshop
The technical sessions examined several constitutional, environmental and community-related issues affecting indigenous populations.
Major areas of discussion included:
- Constitutional safeguards available to Scheduled Tribes
- Habitat and forest rights
- Gram Sabha governance
- Community Forest Resource management
- Biodiversity conservation
- Legal literacy and awareness
- Barriers to accessing courts and government institutions
- Community participation in justice delivery
- Ecological and transformative justice
The workshop also encouraged greater cooperation between legal institutions, researchers, civil society organisations and communities to develop practical solutions for improving access to justice.
Experts and Resource Persons
The programme featured participation from legal and academic experts, including representatives associated with the District Legal Services Authority, Raipur, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, the Centre for Social Justice, and the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru.
The programme was designed by Dr. Ayan Hazra, Head of the Centre for Law and Indigenous People. Dr. Deepak Srivastav, Registrar in Charge, welcomed the participants, while Dr. Avinash Samal delivered the valedictory summary. Students Shreya Kesri and Tanzeel served as anchors.
Aaranyaka Journal Inaugurated
A key highlight was the release of the inaugural issue of Aaranyaka, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on law, indigenous communities, constitutional governance, ecology and transformative justice.
The event concluded with a call for stronger legal research, legal literacy, community-based justice mechanisms and policy engagement to promote a more inclusive and accountable justice system in India.
About Hidayatullah National Law University
Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur, is a national law university located in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The university focuses on legal education, research, academic development and engagement with contemporary legal and constitutional issues.
Through its academic centres and research initiatives, HNLU provides a platform for students, scholars, legal professionals and policymakers to engage with emerging areas of law and justice.