Functioning of National Legal Services Authority

Functioning of NALSA

Thursday, January 28, 2010

National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) is having its headquarters at New Delhi. The Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief of NALSA, Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of India is the Executive Chairman of NALSA. Under NALSA, 35 State Authorities are working in all States and Union Territories. The Chief Justice of the High Court is the patron-in-Chief and senior most Judge of the High Court is the Executive Chairman of the State legal Services Authorities. There are 596 District Legal Services Authorities all over India under the Chairmanship of the District Judge. There are 2040 Taluk legal Services Committees functioning in Taluks where the senior most Judicial Officer of the Taluk is the Chairman. Members of these Authorities and Committees are nominated by the appropriate Government. These Authorities and Committees provide free services to the persons mention in Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 i.e. Schedules Tribes/ Schedules Caste, Women, Children, Victims of trafficking and beggars, Victims of mass-disasters, Victims of ethnic violence, industrial workmen, persons in custody in jails, juvenile homes and psychiatric hospitals. Besides, persons whose annual income is below Rs.50,000/- also are entitle to free legal services. Apart from legal services, NALSA, State Authorities and Taluk Committees implement various projects as per the directions of NALSA and as per its National Plan of Action for spreading legal awareness and also for preventive and strategic legal aid.

Apart from that, as per the guidelines issued by NALSA, the State and District Authorities and Taluk Committees organize Lok Adalats for settlement of cases pending before the Court and also those disputes which have not been brought before the Court5 (pre-litigation matters).

NALSA is implementing its legal services including legal awareness and is organizing Lok Adalats in the rural areas as a part of its objective of bringing justice to the door-steps of the people. In this connection, NALSA has envisaged a scheme for trained para-legal volunteers to act as intermediaries between the people living in remote villages and the various legal services institutions under NALSA.