National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)
Description
"NALSA: Ensuring Access to Justice for Marginalized
Sections through Free Legal Services"
Description: "Discover
the role of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) in providing free legal services to marginalized communities and promoting amicable dispute settlement through Lok Adalats. Learn about NALSA's initiatives and collaboration with State Legal Services Authorities for better access to justice."
The National Legal
Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal Services
Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free Legal Services to the weaker sections of
the society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
NALSA lays down
policies, principles, guidelines and frames effective and economical schemes
for the State Legal Services Authorities to implement the Legal Services
Programmes throughout the country. Primarily, the State Legal Services
Authorities, District Legal Services Authorities, Taluk Legal Services
Committees, etc. have been asked to discharge the following main functions on
regular basis:
I.
To Provide Free and Competent Legal
Services to the eligible persons;
II.
To organize Lok Adalats for amicable
settlement of disputes and
III.
To organize legal awareness camps in
the rural areas.
The Free Legal
Services include:-
a) Payment of court
fee, process fees and all other charges payable or incurred in connection with
any legal proceedings;
b) Providing service
of lawyers in legal proceedings;
c) Obtaining and
supply of certified copies of orders and other documents in legal proceedings.
d) Preparation of
appeal, paper book including printing and translation of documents in legal
proceedings.
With the aim of reaching
out to the diverse milieu of people belonging to different socio-economic,
cultural and political backgrounds, NALSA identifies specific categories of the
marginalized and excluded groups from the diverse populace of the country and
formulates various schemes for the implementation of preventive and strategic
legal service programmes to be undertaken and implemented by the Legal Services
Authorities at the various levels. In carrying out all these responsibilities,
NALSA works in close coordination with the various State Legal Services
Authorities, District Legal Services Authorities and other agencies for a
regular exchange of relevant information, monitoring and updating on the
implementation and progress of the various schemes in vogue and fostering a
strategic and coordinated approach to ensure smooth and streamlined functioning
of the various agencies and stakeholders.
