New Delhi: Legal Services Day is observed annually on November 9 to mark the commencement of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 which came into force on the same day in 1995.
Since then Legal Service Day has been celebrated by State Legal Services Authorities across the country to raise awareness among the people about the availability of free legal aid.
As per the Ministry of Law and Justice, several Authorities/Institutions are established to provide free legal aid to poor and weaker sections of the society. The government extends all support to strengthen the legal services authorities/institutions in the form of Grant-in-Aid and other logistical support.
According to the National Legal Services Authority website, 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 society and to organise Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
In every State, the State Legal Services Authority has been constituted to give effect to the policies and directions of the NALSA and to give free legal services to the people and conduct Lok Adalats in the state.
The State Legal Services Authority is headed by the Chief Justice of the respective High Court, who is the Patron-in-Chief of the State Legal Services Authority. A seniormost Judge of the High Court is nominated as Executive Chairman, SLSA, the NALSA website states.
In every District, the District Legal Services Authority has been constituted to implement Legal Services Programmes. The District Legal Services Authority is situated in the District Courts Complex in every district and chaired by the District Judge of the respective district. A Civil Judge Cadre Judicial Officer is appointed as Secretary on full-time basis, it mentioned.
Permanent and continuous Lok Adalats are being established in all the districts in the country. Separate Permanent and continuous Lok Adalats in government departments are aimed at amicably settling pending cases as well as the matters at a pre-litigative stage between government departments and the general public so that the inflow of litigation to regular courts is reduced.
In so many government bodies these Lok Adalats have become functional. In Delhi, Permanent Lok Adalats have been established in Delhi Vidyut Board, Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, MTNL and General Insurance Corporation.
These Lok Adalats are becoming popular day-by-day and it is expected that very soon a large number of disputes between public and statutory authorities would start getting settled at pre-litigative stage itself saving the parties from unnecessary expense and litigational inconvenience. In other States also State Legal Services Authorities have initiated steps to persuade the State government and statutory bodies to set up separate Permanent Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of their legal disputes, the website states.
