Lawyers garb for ex-convict

KOCHI: Among the Oscar winner and political bigwigs at the Lawyers’ Enrolment at the High Court Auditorium was a quiet man in the ceremonial black robes. C Pious received his Lawyers’ Enrollment certificate, 21 years after he was convicted of a murder. “I am a law-abiding citizen and it is my conviction in the judicial system that has brought me to the High Court today,” says Pious.As a fourth-year law student in 1996, Pious was convicted of murder by political vendetta. But despite the fact that he had to spend 11 years in the prime of his life as a jailbird, Pious nurtures no regrets or negativity about the punishment which many of his friends say was undeserved.“All that does not matter anymore. What I have learnt in my life is that proof or evidence is of primary importance. The courts can decide cases only based on the facts before them. So, we need to provide the citizens a means to put forth the proof,” says Pious.In what could be an irony of sorts, Pious really began his legal profession when he was in the jail. “There is a provision in Indian law under which poor prisoners can file an appeal, under the recommendation of the jail authorities, free of cost. Since I was a law student, some of the police officers asked me to assist the prisoners in filing appeals. That was the beginning. Slowly, the number of appeals went up,” he explains.So enthused was he by the idea that he revived his interest in law and utilised his jail term to not only complete his graduation, but also his post-graduation. Under provisions of the law, Pious was out on bail from 1996 to 2003, to undertake his studies. Today a qualified LLM degree holder, Pious feels his days in prison gave him a whole new reason to pursue the career. “Hundreds of prisoners are languishing in jails because they are deprived of legal aid owing to their economic condition. This gave me a reason to venture forth and be of some help,” he says.Now, after 21 years, in and out of prison and with a hands-on experience of the legal system, Pious is all set for a new beginning.