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In order to begin addressing these and other serious problems, The Tiger Foundation and Tiger Trust propose to create a legal support team consisting of two part-time senior advocates, as well as one full time project manager and one junior advocate, all of whom are specialists in the fields of wildlife and environmental law. The said team would visit district courts where tiger poaching cases are registered and appoint, with the help of forest department and local leaders, hire local advocates to help prosecutors work more efficiently. A review of each case will be held periodically by a Legal Review Committee comprised of forest department officials, local leaders, police officers, legal and ethics experts, and other knowledgeable parties. Wherever deemed appropriate, in the event of acquittal, support would be provided to pursue appeals. The Program shall also be able to grant financial assistance to victimized conservation and law enforcement officers, who are facing nuisance counter cases by poachers and have no legal support. However, any such support shall be cleared by the Chief Wildlife Warden, the local field director and the Program's Legal Review Committee. The Tiger Foundation and Tiger Trust further propose to reward, under
a generous financial incentive scheme, dedicated officers and conservationists
that are directly instrumental in the capture and successful prosecution
of tiger poachers. Annually, selected individuals and teams who make
exceptional contributions to the cause of tiger conservation or who
provide information that materially contributes to the arrest and conviction
of tiger poachers and gangs will receive substantial financial awards. It is our belief that if the financial reward is sufficient, that if the recognition of good work is adequate and that if successful prosecutions begin to occur, morale, motivation and effectiveness will dramatically improve on the front lines of the war on poaching. This force alone will become a powerful deterrent to poachers, many of whom have currently little fear of the law. Regular workshops and legal training seminars for field officers, prosecutors and local officials will form an important part of this initiative. The Program will launch a wide publicity and public relation campaign which will include promoting tiger awareness campaigns, holding press conferences, hosting press teams visits, distributing printed and electronic materials and presenting public lectures in cities, towns and villages. Celebrity endorsements would be sought wherever possible. It is our goal to improve law enforcement efficacy and to deter would-be tiger hunters. We expect that incidences of poaching will diminish because poachers will be afraid to be caught and convicted by highly motivated government officers or turned-in by their peers and neighbors intent on collecting the generous rewards offered by the Program. |
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