Judges in Action: Delhi’s Legal Eagles Get Hands-On with Life-Saving Skills for Road Accident Victims

In a first-of-its-kind effort on the eve of the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week, more than 50 judges of Delhi's South and South-East District Courts have been trained in Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS) to enhance emergency response at road crash sites. The training workshop, held at the Saket District Court Complex on May 17, was organized by the SaveLIFE Foundation under its 'Jeevan Rakshak' initiative in association with the South District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

The training aimed to address a vital gap in trauma response by equipping judicial officers-many of whom make legal decisions in crash cases but receive minimal formal medical training-with life-saving essentials. Judges learned essential skills like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), stopping bleeding, cervical spine stabilization, airway management, and initial victim assessment. Emergency scene management training, choking management training, and the importance of the "Golden Hour"-the first hour after a crash when prompt treatment can save up to 30% of lives-were also included in the program.

 

The students were provided with an education regarding the Good Samaritan Law, its enforcement, and applications, which allowed them to better understand the human and legal dimensions of road safety.

 

Ms. Shail Jain, District and Sessions Judge, South District, stated, "This training is a significant step towards making the justice system more responsive and humane. By learning life-saving trauma response skills, judicial officers are best positioned to appreciate ground realities better and serve the larger cause of saving lives." WHO's Dr. B Mohammed Asheel highlighted the need for multi-sector response when he said, "Strengthening first response capacity in all sectors is critical to the reduction of preventable road traffic injury deaths and disabilities. By extending this training to judicial officers, we are encouraging a multi-sectoral response to emergency care-one that combines legal awareness, public health, and life-saving action."

 

India accounts for about 1.72 lakh road crash fatalities every year, bystander intervention within the "Golden Hour" being absolutely vital. SaveLIFE Foundation is one such organization that has trained more than 26,000 police officers and citizen volunteers in India and has managed to reduce road crash fatalities significantly till now.

 

Source: BW Legal World