Lok Sabha Question No. 3400 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: Affordable Judicial Process for Weaker Sections
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Ajay Nishad

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †3400

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 5 TH  AUGUST, 2022

## Affordable Judicial Process for Weaker Sections

## †3400. SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the dalits, backward classes and other weaker sections of the society are unable to get justice due to costly and complex judicial system;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government thereto; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to make judicial process quick and affordable to all sections of the society, including above mentioned classes?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a) and (b) No Sir. Government is making every efforts in providing access to justice to the dalits, backward classes and other weaker sections of the society. National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987 to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society including beneficiaries covered under Section 12 of the  Act,  to  ensure  that  opportunities  for  securing  justice  are  not  denied  to  any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities, and to organize Lok Adalats to secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunities.

For  this  purpose,  the  legal  services  institutions  have  been  setup  from  the Taluk Court level to the Supreme Court. The activities/programmes undertaken by Legal Services Authorities include legal aid and advice; legal awareness programmes ; legal  services/empowerment  camps  ;  legal  services  clinics  ;  legal literacy clubs ; Lok Adalats and implementation of victim compensation scheme.

(c) To  enable  quick  and  equitable  access  to  justice,  National  Legal  Services Authority (NALSA) has launched Legal Services Mobile App on Android and iOS versions to enable easy access to legal aid to common citizens.

Further,  a  scheme  on  Access  to  Justice  titled  'Designing  Innovative Solutions  for  Holistic  Access  to  Justice  in  India'  has  been  launched  by  the Government of India which aims to strengthen pre-litigation advice and consultation  through  Tele-Law:  Reaching  the  Unreached;  ensure    pan  -  India dispensation framework to deliver Pro Bono legal Services through Nyaya Bandhu (Pro Bono Legal Services) programme; facilitate disposal of 15 year old pending cases  at  the  district  level  through  its  Nyaya  Mitra  programme  and  to  empower citizens  through  Pan  India  legal  literacy  and  legal  awareness  programme.  The Scheme embeds use of technology and developing contextualized IEC (Information, Education and Communication) material in regional / local dialect to supports its intervention and to achieve easy accessibility of legal services to the poor and weakest sections of the society. All these services are provided free of cost to all citizens including the dalits, backward classes and other weaker sections of the society.

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