Lok Sabha Question No. 896 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-29
Subject: Complex Legal System
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Devesh Chandra Thakur

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-†896

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY - 29/11/2024

## COMPLEX LEGAL SYSTEM

## †896.  SHRI DEVESH CHANDRA THAKUR:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Dalits, backward classes and poors are not getting justice due to high costs and complex legal system in the country;
- (b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto; and
- (c) the step taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to make the legal process fast and affordable so the above mentioned classes are able to get justice?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a)  and  (b)  No.  The  Government  is  making  every  efforts  in  providing  access  to  justice  to  the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes and other Economically 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'  is  implemented  by  the  Government  of  India  which  aims  to strengthen  pre-litigation  advice  and  consultation  through  Tele-Law;  ensure  pan  -  India dispensation  framework  to  deliver  Pro  Bono  legal  Services  through  Nyaya  Bandhu  (Pro Bono Legal Services) 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  support  its  intervention  and  to  achieve  easy  accessibility  of  legal  services  to  the poor and weakest sections of the society. All these services under the scheme are provided free of cost to all citizens including the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and other Economically Weaker sections of the society.

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