Free legal aid...A right of every marginalised person
How Marginalized people can access free legal aid in Indian Courts?
Right to avail free legal aid is there in our constitution. A rich person can hire a lawyer and can access to Highest courts in the country .
But what if the legal battle is between a rich person and the poor person?
The answer to this is free legal aid facility at every State in the country that supports marginalized people. Then who are these marginalized people? these marginalized people includes
1. people having annual income less than 100000
2. Differently abled people
3.women and transgenders
4.old age people
5.SC/ST
6. person in custody
Now these people require social assistance to have an effective representation before various courts in India including Hon'ble Supreme Court. Every State in India have State Legal Service Authorities SLSA which is controlled by National Legal Service Authority called NALSA. Many legal aid counsels work for State legal service authority and people approach to State Legal service Authorities for a grant of legal aid counsel to them.
In Delhi we have DLSA for every district courts in Delhi. Now these SLSA also organize legal literacy campaigns and take assistance of various legal counsels in every district of the country by distribution of pamphlets to marginalized people they create awareness.
legal service advocates distributing legal aid material
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legal service advocates distributing legal aid material
The legal aid advocates of the SLSA also visit various schools for legal litracy to school children regarding the POSCO act(Child related sexual offences), registration of FIR and legal aid in every court of this country. So that children of this country empowered about working of legal system in India.
legal aid counsel in legal literacy camp in government school
legal aid counsel in legal literacy camp in government school
By managing two areas one is legal awareness and other area of legal aid the legal services authorities of this country are working day in and day out to promote access to justice. so that the marginalized people are not left out in a quest for justice and approaching courts is not a luxury for rich people.
Other legal initiative of legal aid authorities is National Lok Adalat created to promote settlement of disputes in quick manner. it is organized in every court once a month. so that in cases where settlement is possible. The National Lok adalat is organized to reduce pendency of cases. which is seeing a downward trend in recent years.
National Lok Adalat held on 08.07.2017 disposed of more than 10.1 lakhs total cases including 5.50 lakhs pending cases and 4.68 lakhs pre-litigation cases with the settlement amount of Rs 3009 Crores
The legal service authority must be credited for such a large scale initiatives to promote access to justice and making justice easier and upholding constitutional mandate
I have been working for DLSA south west Delhi for the last 1.5 years and doing my private practice. I am founder of Lexspeak Legal a law firm based in Delhi. I am also handling Pro Bono cases of my own apart from legal aid cases by DLSA south west Delhi . I represent marginalized people all the way till Hon'ble Supreme Court free of cost. If anyone needs free legal aid and is a needy person then my firm will help in such cases. you may contact me at Advocate Nitish Banka contact me on [email protected]
