What is itorney?
itorney is a mobile application that provides legal first aid- a pocket lawyer that will help India’s population understand its rights, and will serve as an easy accessible tool to empower common man, deter police misconduct and strengthen rule of law.
Does itorney resolve the Catch-22?
Police misconduct in India is not confined to small acts of misdemeanor and corruption but brutal acts like long term illegal detention and rape of family members, making an app such as itorney the need of the hour. The app will act as a catalyst to return the power back to the people and prevent atrocities by those who are paid to protect. The app aims to promote and preserve the rule of law principle which upholds that the state is governed not by the ruler or the nominated representatives of the people, but by the law. Doing so, will curtail police misuse of power and help people take the first step in protecting their liberty and also ensuring the accountability of officials.
When the protector of the law becomes abusive, callous, corrupt and lawless, then, it is time to root out the rot from the system. When the guardians become the lawbreakers, it is no time for us to be vulnerable to their brutality and ill treatment but utilise our knowledge of the law to stop the malice of crime and corruption and reform the system by raising our voice against injustice. Yes, itorney has the answer.
How will the app promote rule of law?
The app will promote rule of law by-
- empowering the common man with knowledge of law
- making police conduct accountable
- making it easy to seek help in an emergency situation
What will the app do for you?
The idea behind the app is to enable everyone to protect themselves from police abuse, tell people about their rights and explain laws when they most need it and help them tell and hear true stories that improve police accountability.
What all can you do with itorney?
Your pocket lawyer will help you search for a law in an easy to understand text
- It will auto send GPS coordinates with alert to your near and dear ones when you need immediate help
- For women users, the SOS alerts are automatically shared with the National Commission for Women (NCW)
- The app will allow you to post text, audio and video blogs of cop stories to honor the good cops and make the bad cops accountable
- You will be able to spread awareness and inspire others by sharing your success story
In short, the app will empower you to know laws and use them to protect your own rights and help safeguard the rights of your near and dear ones.
Our Advisory Board:
- Justice A.K Patnaik,
- Justice A. P Shah and,
- Mr B B Mishra
Everything you need to know about I-torney….
Q1. What is itorney?
itorney is an awareness app with an inbuilt SOS response system. It works like your pocket lawyer for day to day interactions with the law enforcement authorities along with an additional safeguard and protection during emergencies. Broadly itorney:
- Explains law and tells you your rights when you need them the most.
- Alerts your family and friends when your liberty is threatened.
- Enables you to share true stories to improve police accountability.
Q2. Who all can use it?
- The app caters to the need of all classes, age groups and even regions. The legal database includes laws of all the states in the country and not just the metropolitan cities. Hence any person from any region can make use of the app on any smart phone.
- itorney is extremely user friendly, with just a three step registration process and minimum space requirement on the devices making it effective for all users.
NOTE: Version 1 of the app is in English. Soon the Hindi version will be launched followed by versions in all major regional languages based on demand.
Q3. Are there any charges for using the app?
No, there are no charges for using itorney. The app would be available free of cost on Google play with no additional or hidden charges for using it.
Q4. How to download the app?
The app can be downloaded at Google play from 26th Jan 2016:
- Search “itorney”
- Click on the install button
- The app will be installed in your phone free of charge
- Click on open to run the app on your phone
Q5.What all information would I need to give for registering myself for the app?
Information requirement: The app requires you to add your information which includes:
- User name
- Phone number
- State and District
- Gender
- Name, phone number and address of the two people whom you wish to add as your emergency contact.
NOTE:
- The app requires you to specify your gender as record of SOS alerts sent from the app will be shared with the National Commission for Women for the purpose of women safety and data analysis.
- The app requires your district and state information to provide applicable traffic rules and any region specific laws.
Q6. Will any personal data of the users be collected without their knowledge and/ or misused?
itorney does not collect any data unethically. Security of the private data collected will not be compromised. The information collected during registration is minimal and the process is just to check the authenticity of the user.
Q7. Will I find explanation for all the laws in India here?
India has a variety of laws and itorney focuses on laws which a user might need most in his day to day life and includes the criminal laws majorly. However, we welcome suggestions at info[at]i-torney[dot]com for any laws which users find missing in the app but think is highly relevant and important to be added. The newer versions would incorporate all suggestions found valid and feasible.
Q8. How is itorney different from any another SOS app or the likes?
itorney is not merely a SOS app. It is like a pocket lawyer along with the emergency alert feature. It helps you to search for laws and procedures that have most common use and explanations of the laws in plain text for easier comprehension.
Q9.What if my internet data pack expires, will the app be of any use to me then?
itorney works without internet connectivity also. The database of the laws and the templates for quick reference to procedures (in Version 2.0 to be realized in April 2016) like filing of police complaints are inbuilt in the app and do not require internet to access them.
Q10. I cannot understand legal language, how will the app help me?
itorney allows you to search for laws and procedures using most basic and simple key words known to a common man. Along with the easily accessible laws, itorney also comes with a feature of “Plain Text”, where the legal language has been translated to make it very comprehensive and easy to understand by any and every person using it.
Q11.Not all police officers are bad. I have had experiences while dealing with them where their behavior was very good and they helped me. Can I share my experience?
itorney comes with the feature of news feed. Under this the users can share their experiences and stories, honor the good cops and make the bad cops accountable, post text, audio and video blogs of cop stories also share posts on social media. itorney aims at equipping ordinary people with the knowledge of law to protect themselves.
Q12. I have a suggestion/idea for the itorney! app. How do I submit it? Go ahead and contact us at info@i-torney.com or alternatively call us on +91-11-29562301. Share your thoughts on what would make it most useful for you. We also welcome inputs from police departments, emergency response teams, and security professionals.
Q13. What happens when I send an SOS alert?
i.torney allows you to send preset SOS alert with a single tap on the widget. It auto sends that preset text along with GPS coordinates to your TWO previously self-chosen emergency contacts. You can also send a customized SOS alert by tapping on Send SOS in the drawer menu. For women users, SOS alerts are also shared with National Commission for Women (NCW).
Q14. I am Rajesh, a 27 year old male. All the SOS apps in the market are mainly targeted towards women safety. How is this app any different?
itorney is not merely an SOS app; neither is it specially made for women users. It is like a pocket lawyer with the emergency alert feature. Hence it is not targeting any particular group or class of people. People from any and all age groups, male or female, are encouraged to use the app to be more knowledgeable of personal rights laws especially. It is a ready reckoner for key criminal law provisions and a platform to learn from each others’ experience in dealing with law enforcers.
Q15. How would my emergency contacts get to know my location in case on an emergency?
Along with your SOS message, itorney automatically sends your location details to the emergency contacts you have registered. The app also starts tracking the mobile phone as soon as the SOS signal or alert is sent out (in version 2.0).
Q16. The people I trust to be made my emergency contacts do not have smart phones. Do they also need to have the app on their phones?
No, the user’s emergency contacts need not have the app on their phones. Neither do they need smart phones, as the alert would be sent as a regular text message.