Former Chief Justice of India Dr DY Chandrachud on Thursday attended the launch of Zen Access Law Associates, a law firm led entirely by lawyers with disabilities..The firm is the first of its kind in India and will offer services in areas such as corporate and contractual law, intellectual property, service law and disability rights law.The launch took place during a public dialogue between the former CJI and the co-founders of Mission Accessibility - Advocates Rahul Bajaj and Amar Jain. The event was attended by over 350 people, the majority of whom were persons with disabilities.Mission Accessibility provides pro bono and low-cost legal assistance to persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups. The organisation has represented clients in 42 cases across courts and tribunals in the past year..During the discussion, Bajaj and Jain posed eight questions to Justice Chandrachud, selected from 43 submitted by persons with disabilities. Topics included strengthening the enforcement powers of disability commissioners, ensuring priority hearing of disability rights cases and expanding opportunities for lawyers with disabilities beyond pro bono and rights-based work.Justice Chandrachud said that the time was appropriate to reconsider the powers granted to disability commissioners under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. He suggested that commissioners be given authority to issue binding orders, along with implementation deadlines and monetary penalties for non-compliance. He also proposed tax incentives to encourage voluntary compliance with accessibility norms..On the question of delays in hearing disability rights cases, he noted that while setting up a special bench was one option, a more effective approach might be to integrate these matters across judicial benches. He said that the judiciary's approach to disability rights had evolved and that there was now greater understanding and empathy.Justice Chandrachud also addressed the issue of representation of lawyers with disabilities, urging the Central government to consider appointing them as panel counsel. He proposed convening a national conference involving Chief Justices of High Courts, law secretaries, government officials, and disability commissioners to discuss inclusion in legal representation and advocacy..During the event, Justice Chandrachud revealed that he has been struggling to find a residence in Delhi that would cater to the special needs of his two daughters.The former CJI will be vacating his official residence by April 30.
