Lok Sabha Question No. 1600 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-27
Subject: Legal Aid to Poor
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: HARI BABU KAMBHAMPATI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ******

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1600

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 27 th  DECEMBER, 2017

## Legal Aid to Poor

1600. DR. KAMBHAMPATI HARIBABU:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has made any efforts for providing legal aid to the poor and the people in rural areas of the country; (b) if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Government has launched or is planning to launch digital and mobile

- courts in the country; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW & JUSTICE AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS (SHRI P.P.CHAUDHARY)

- (a) and (b)   The Government has been implementing two projects on Access to Justice in 16 states.  The  first  project  was  launched  in  partnership  with  UNDP  in  2009  in  8  states namely,  UP,  Bihar,  M.P,  Chhattisgarh,  Jharkhand,  Rajasthan,  Odisha  and  Maharashtra. The focus of the project has been on providing legal aid and creation of legal awareness among the weaker section of the society. Under the project training and capacity building of panel lawyers, para legal volunteers, elected representatives of gram panchayats and anganwadi  workers  have  been  undertaken.  The  second  project  was  launched  by  the Government    in  2012  from  its  own  resources    in  7  states  of  the  North  East  namely, Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim and the  state  of  Jammu  &  Kashmir.    Similar  legal  aid  and  literacy  programme  are  being implemented in these states.

In  April,  2017,  the  Government  has  launched  three  new  legal  empowerment initiatives, namely, Tele Law, Pro bono legal services and Nyaya Mitra. Tele Law scheme has been launched in 1800 gram panchayats in 10 states of the country for providing free legal  aid  to  marginalised  persons  as  mentioned  in  section  12  of  the  Legal  Services Authority Act, 1987.  As on 22.12.2017, out of 10896 cases registered under the scheme, legal advice has been provided in 7779 cases.  Under the probono legal service scheme, 298  cases  of  marginalised  persons  have  been  assigned  to  195  advocates.  Under  the Nyaya Mitra scheme, 16 Nyaya Mitras have been engaged in 6 states namely, UP, Bihar, West  Bengal,  Gujarat,  Rajasthan  and  Tripura  in  the  first  phase.  The  Nyaya  Mitras  are required to assist the judiciary in the disposal of long pending cases and also to provide free legal advice to marginalised persons. The  National  Legal  Services  Authority  was  constituted  under  the  Legal  Services Authorities Act, 1987 to monitor and evaluate implementation of legal aid programmes. Under the Act, legal services institutions have been set up at all levels from taluka courts, the  district  court,  High  Court  to  the  Supreme  Court.  Legal  aid  clinics  setup  in  jails, observation homes, juvenile justice boards and law schools are being manned by panel lawyers and para legal volunteers of legal services authorities. NALSA  has  developed  schemes  and  programmes  to  ensure  equitable  access  to justice, especially for the marginalised communities is provided for.  With this objective NALSA has several schemes for providing legal aid to those specific categories of people who  are  excluded  from  the  formal  legal  system  due  to  political,  cultural,  social  or environmental conditions. Such schemes range from providing legal services to victims of disasters-(both manmade and natural) to acid attack victims. NALSA has also been at the vanguard for protecting the rights and interest of some of the most vulnerable members of the society, be it children, women, tribals or mentally ill and disabled people. (c)  and  (d)  The  Government  has  computerised  16089  courts  in  the  district  and subordinate  judiciary  in  the  country    under  the  e  Courts  mission  mode  project.  The National  Judicial  Data  Grid  created  under  the  project  has  online  information  such  as The Government of India provides financial  assistance  to  state  governments  to  set  up Gram Nyayalayas which may hold mobile court outside their respective headquarters in details of case registration, cause list, case status, daily orders and final judgments. terms of the provisions contained in the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008.

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