Legal service authority is providing continuous help in these challenging times to people who requires it. Legal assistance is being provided to prisoners through panel lawyers of NALSA.
Justice N.V Ramana, Executive Chairman, NALSA has instructed NALSA to co-ordinate with State legal Services Authorities to alleviate the sufferings of people, and to provide assistance, keeping in view the recommended precautions and guidelines.
Following initiatives are being taken up by Authorities to help people in this COVID19 pandemic:-
- Legal Services Authorities are assisting the High powered Committee, for identifying under trials who could be released on bail during the present scenario. Till now, from 232 districts, 11,077 under trials and 5981 convicts have been released.
- Meetings are being held by under trial review Committees to identify undertrial prisoners eligible for taking benefit of Bail under Section 436 CrPC. 944 recommendations have been made for release of undertrials by these Committees, and with the assistance of Legal Services Authorities around 829 undertrials have been released.
- Legal Services Authorities are regularly receiving calls by Legal aid helpline numbers like National Legal aid helpline number 15100. Legal Services Authorities are regularly receiving calls pertaining to shortage of food, migrant labourers stranded at places away from their home state , denial of wages, victims of violence etc .
- These problems are being addressed by Legal Services Authorities through its workforce consisting of Panel lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers in close co-ordination with the District administration. Para- Legal Volunteers are also reaching out to remote arrears and coordinating with the district administration and local members to help distribution of food and masks.
- NALSA has requested all the State Legal Services Authorities to coordinate with the One Stop Centres of Ministry of Women and Child across the country to provide legal aid and assistance to women who are victims of crime. Also, through women helpline no.181, any legal assistance can be given to women in coordination with the officials managing those helplines.
- Nomination of women lawyers is to be done by State Legal Services Authorities to solve problems of domestic violence.
These measures being taken up by Legal Services Authorities show that Authorities are ready to face any legal problems which may arise during and post pandemic period.
-India Legal Bureau