New Delhi, 26 March 2022: National Legal Services Authorities (NALSA) has undertaken several measures to make available affordable, quality and speedy justice to the common man. The Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987 provides 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 a basis of equal opportunities.
For this purpose, the legal services institutions have been set up from the Taluk Court levels to the Supreme Court. During the period from April, 2021 to January, 2022, 62.21 lakhs persons have been provided with free legal services and 133.27 lakhs cases (pending in courts and disputes at pre-litigation stage) have been settled through Lok Adalats. Legal Aid Clinics have also been set up in jails, observation homes, juvenile justice boards which are manned by panel lawyers and para legal volunteers of legal services authorities. Further, to enable equitable access to justice, NALSA has also launched Legal Services Mobile App on Android and iOS Version to enable easy access to legal aid to common citizens.
The Legal Services Authorities under the aegis of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) moved Lok Adalat to the virtual platform known as E-Lok Adalat. The first E-Lok Adalat was held in the month of June, 2020. From June, 2020 to January, 2022, 23.49 lakh pre-litigation cases and pending cases in courts have been disposed of by E-Lok Adalats.
This information was given by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Law and Justice, in Lok Sabha today.