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Well-nighus | National Legal ServicesValidityA+ A A- Select Theme   Orange Green Blue Switch to Default Theme Skip To Content HomeWell-nighUsIntroduction Vision Statement Organizational Structure Patron-in-ChiefCurrent Patron-in-Chief Former Patrons-in-Chief Executive ChairmanCurrent Executive Chairman Former Executive Chairmen Members Former Member Secretaries Acts & RulesThe Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 Rules Preventive & Strategic Legal Services Schemes Regulations Lok AdalatRegular Lok Adalat National Lok AdalatLok Adalat 2015 Lok Adalat 2016 Lok Adalat 2017 Permanent Lok Adalat ServicesLegal AidWho is entitled for self-ruling Legal service Nature of self-ruling legal services How to Apply Procedure without using Legal Awareness/Literacy Lok Adalat SocialWhoopeeLitigation LibraryNewsletter CommendationCompilation of Best DLSAs, 2017 Compilation of Best PLVs, 2017 Reports Training ModulesTraining Module Part-1 Training Module Part-2 Training Module Samvedan Training Module for PLVs Guidelines Commercial Courts Acts & Rules Important Bare Acts Campaigns GalleryPhoto Gallery Video Gallery Audio Gallery Statistics Grants & AccountsGrants2017-2018 2018-2019 Accounts2015-2016 Expenditure of SLSAValidityLogin Search form Search For availing self-ruling Legal Services or filing Grievance Click Here. Home »Well-nighus Introduction and History of NALSA » Introduction » History Introduction The National Legal ServicesValidity(NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide self-ruling Legal Services to the weaker sections of the society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dipak Misra, the Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Judge, SupremeMagistrateof India is the Executive Chairman of the Authority. NALSA is housed at 12/11, Jam Nagar House, New Delhi-110011. In every State, State Legal ServicesValidityhas been constituted to requite effect to the policies and directions of the NALSA and to requite self-ruling legal services to the people and self-mastery Lok Adalats in the State.  The State Legal ServicesValidityis headed by Hon’ble the Chief Justice of the respective HighMagistratewho is the Patron-in-Chief of the State Legal Services Authority.  In every District, District Legal ServicesValidityhas been constituted to implement Legal Services Programmes in the District. The District Legal ServicesValidityis situated in the District Courts Complex in every District and chaired by the District Judge of the respective district.. History of Legal Movement in India Legal Aid Movement in India – Its Development and Present Status Article 39A of the Constitution of India provides that State shall secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on a understructure of equal opportunity, and shall in particular, provide self-ruling legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any resider by reason of economic or other disability.Wares14 and 22(1) moreover make it obligatory for the State to ensure equality surpassing law and a legal system which promotes justice on a understructure of equal opportunity to all. Legal aid strives to ensure that ramble pledge is fulfilled in its letter and spirit and equal justice is made misogynist to the poor, downtrodden and weaker sections of the society.  The primeval Legal Aid movement appears to be of the year 1851 when some establishment was introduced in France for providing legal assistance to the indigent. In Britain, the history of the organised efforts on the part of the State to provide legal services to the poor and needy dates when to 1944, when Lord Chancellor, Viscount Simon scheduled Rushcliffe Committee to enquire well-nigh the facilities existing in England and Wales for giving legal translating to the poor and to make recommendations as towards to be desirable for ensuring that persons in need of legal translating are provided the same by the State. Since 1952, the Govt. of India moreover started addressing to the question of legal aid for the poor in various conferences of Law Ministers and Law Commissions. In 1960, some guidelines were drawn by the Govt. for legal aid schemes. In variegated states legal aid schemes were floated through Legal Aid Boards, Societies and Law Departments. In 1980, a Committee at the national level was constituted to oversee and supervise legal aid programmes throughout the country under the Chairmanship of Hon. Mr. Justice P.N. Bhagwati then a Judge of the SupremeMagistrateof India. This Committee came to be known as CILAS (Committee for Implementing Legal Aid Schemes) and started monitoring legal aid activities throughout the country. The introduction of Lok Adalats widow a new installment to the justice nonliability system of this country and succeeded in providing a supplementary forum to the litigants for conciliatory settlement of their disputes. In 1987 Legal Services Authorities Act was enacted to requite a statutory wiring to legal aid programmes throughout the country on a uniform pattern. This Act was finally enforced on 9th of November, 1995 without unrepealable amendments were introduced therein by the Amendment Act of 1994. Hon. Mr. Justice R.N. Mishra the then Chief Justice of India played a key role in the enforcement of the Act. National Legal ServicesValiditywas constituted on 5th December, 1995. His Lordship Hon. Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, Judge, SupremeMagistrateof India took over as the Executive Chairman of National Legal ServicesValidityon 17the July, 1997. Soon without thesping the office, His Lordship initiated steps for making the National Legal ServicesValidityfunctional. The first Member Secretary of the validity joined in December, 1997 and by January, 1998 the other officers and staff were moreover appointed. By February, 1998 the office of National Legal ServicesValiditybecame properly functional for the first time. In October, 1998, His Lordship Hon. Dr. Justice A.S. Anand unsupportable the Office of the Chief Justice of India and thus became the Patron-in-Chief of National Legal Services Authority. His Lordship Hon. Mr. Justice S.P. Bharucha, the senior-most Judge of the SupremeMagistrateof India unsupportable the office of the Executive Chairman, National Legal Services Authority. Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 prescribes the criteria for giving legal services to the eligible persons. Section 12 of the Act reads as under:- 12.Every person who has to file or defend a specimen shall be entitled to legal services under this Act if that person is – (a) a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe; (b) a victim of trafficking in human beings or begar as referred to in Article 23 of the Constitution; (c) a woman or a child; (d) a mentally ill or otherwise disabled person; (e) a person under circumstances of undeserved want such as stuff a victim of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster; or (f) an industrial workman; or (g) in custody, including custody in a protective home within the meaning of clause (g) of section 2 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (104 of 1956); or in a juvenile home within the meaning of clause  (j) of section 2 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986 (53 of 1986) or in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home within the meaning of clause (g) of section 2 of the Mental Health Act, 1987 (14 of 1987); or  (h) in receipt of yearly income less than rupees nine thousand or such other higher value as may be prescribed by the State Govt., if the specimen is surpassing a magistrate other than the Supreme Court, and less than rupees twelve thousand or such other higher value as may be prescribed by the Central Govt., if the specimen is surpassing the Supreme Court." (Rules have once been amended to enhance this income ceiling). According to section 2(1) (a) of the Act, legal aid can be provided to a person for a 'case' which includes a suit or any proceeding surpassing a court. Section 2(1) (aaa) defines the 'court' as a civil, criminal or revenue magistrate and includes any tribunal or any other validity constituted under any law for the time stuff in force, to exercise judicial or quasi-judicial functions. As per section 2(1)(c) 'legal service' includes the rendering of any service in the self-mastery of any specimen or other legal proceeding surpassing any magistrate or other validity or tribunal and the giving of translating on any legal matter.Legal Services Authorities without examining the eligibility criteria of an write-in and the existence of a prima facie specimen in his favour provide him counsel at State expense, pay the requiredMagistrateFee in the matter and withstand all incidental expenses in connection with the case. The person to whom legal aid is provided is not tabbed upon to spend anything on the litigation once it is supported by a Legal Services Authority. A nationwide network has been envisaged under the Act for providing legal aid and assistance. National Legal ServicesValidityis the noon soul constituted to lay lanugo policies and principles for making legal services misogynist under the provisions of the Act and to frame most constructive and economical schemes for legal services. It moreover disburses funds and grants to State Legal Services Authorities and NGOs for implementing legal aid schemes and programmes. In every State a State Legal ServicesValidityis constituted to requite effect to the policies and directions of the CentralValidity(NALSA) and to requite legal services to the people and self-mastery Lok Adalats in the State. State Legal ServicesValidityis headed by the Chief Justice of the State HighMagistratewho is its Patron-in-Chief. A serving or retired Judge of the HighMagistrateis nominated as its Executive Chairman. District Legal ServicesValidityis constituted in every District to implement Legal Aid Programmes and Schemes in the District. The District Judge of the District is its ex-officio Chairman. Taluk Legal Services Committees are moreover constituted for each of the Taluk or Mandal or for group of Taluk or Mandals to coordinate the activities of legal services in the Taluk and to organise Lok Adalats. Every Taluk Legal Services Committee is headed by a seniorStarchyJudge operating within the jurisdiction of the Committee who is its ex-officio Chairman. Withoutthe constitution of the CentralValidityand the establishment of NALSA office towards the whence of 1998, pursuit schemes and measures have been envisaged and implemented by the Central Authority:- (a) Establishing Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalats in all the Districts in the country for disposal of pending matters as well as disputes at pre-litigative stage; (b) Establishing separate Permanent & Continuous Lok Adalats for Govt. Departments, Statutory Authorities and Public Sector Undertakings for disposal of pending cases as well as disputes at pre-litigative stage; (c) Accreditation of NGOs for Legal Literacy and LegalSensationcampaign; (d) Appointment of "Legal Aid Counsel" in all the Courts of Magistrates in the country; (e) Disposal of cases through Lok Adalats on old pattern; (f) Publicity to Legal Aid Schemes and programmes to make people enlightened well-nigh legal aid facilities; (g)Accenton competent and quality legal services to the aided persons; (h) Legal aid facilities in jails; (i) Setting up of Counseling and Conciliation Centers in all the Districts in the country; (j) Sensitisation of Judicial Officers in regard to Legal Services Schemes and programmes; (k) Publication of "Nyaya Deep", the official newsletter of NALSA; (l) Enhancement of Income Ceiling to Rs.1,25,000/- p.a. for legal aid surpassing SupremeMagistrateof India and to Rs.1,00,000/- p.a. for legal aid uptoUpperCourts; and (m) Steps for framing rules for refund of magistrate fees and execution of Awards passed by Lok Adalats. The FirstYearlyMeet of the State Legal Services Authorities was held on 12th of September, 1998 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi which was presided over by His Lordship Hon. Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, the then Executive Chairman, NALSA. His Lordship Hon. Mr. Justice S.B. Majmudar, Judge, SupremeMagistrateof India and Chairman, SupremeMagistrateLegal Services Committee, the Members of the CentralValidityand the Executive Chairmen and Member Secretaries of the State Legal Services Authorities attended this Meet. In this Meet, the progress of on-going schemes which had been initiated by NALSA was examined and decisions of far reaching implications were taken with a view to strengthen and streamline legal aid programmes in the country. The SecondYearlyMeet of the State Legal Services Authorities was held at Jubilee Hall, Hyderabad on 9th of October, 1999. This Meet was inaugurated by His Lordship Hon. Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, the Chief Justice of India and Patron-in-Chief, NALSA. Hon. Mr. Justice S.P. Bharucha, Executive Chairman, NALSA delivered the keynote address. Other dignitaries present at the inaugural function included Hon. Mr. Justice S.B. Majmudar, Judge, SupremeMagistrateof India and Chairman, SupremeMagistrateLegal Services Committee, Hon. Mr. Justice M.S. Liberhan, Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh HighMagistrateand Members of Central Authority. In pursuance of the undeniability given by His Lordship Hon. Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, the Chief Justice of India in the FirstYearlyMeet, 9th of November is stuff prestigious every year by all Legal Services Authorities as "Legal Services Day". NALSA issues Press Releases in scrutinizingly all the leading newspapers in the country in English, Hindi and regional languages to convey to the public salient provisions of the Legal Services Authorities Act, the important schemes introduced by NALSA for providing legal aid and the utility of Lok Adalats, so that people should know well-nigh the facilities stuff provided by Legal Services Authorities throughout the country. State Legal Services Authorities all over the country organise Lok Adalats, legal literacy camps and undertake legal sensation wayfarers to make people enlightened of their legal rights. Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalats are stuff established in all the Districts in the country. NALSA has been providing and shall protract to provide funds to State Legal Services Authorities for the implementation of the Legal Aid Schemes and Programmes but the infrastructure has to be provided by the State Govts. Separate Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalats in Govt. Departments are aimed at amicably settling pending cases as well as the matters at pre-litigative stage between Govt. Departments and unstipulated public so that the inflow of litigation to regular Courts is reduced. In so many Govt. persons these Lok Adalats have wilt functional. In Delhi Permanent Lok Adalats have been established in Delhi Vidyut Board, Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corpn. Of Delhi, MTNL andUnstipulatedInsurance Corpn. These Lok Adalats are rhadamanthine 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 moreover State Legal Services Authorities have initiated steps to pursuade the State Govts. and statutory bodies, etc. to set up separate Permanent Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of their legal disputes. "Legal Aid Counsel" Scheme which was conceived and introduced by His Lordship Hon. Dr. Justice A.S. Anand when His Lordship was the Executive Chairman, NALSA has been well received all over country. Legal Aid Counsel have been provided in most of the courts of the Magistrates in the country to provide firsthand legal assistance to those prisoners who are not in a position to engage their own counsel. Hon. Mr. Justice S.P. Bharucha, Executive Chairman, NALSA in the undertow of working session of the SecondYearlyMeet of the State Legal Services Authorities held at Hyderabad, had emphasised that Counselling and Conciliation Centers should be established in all the Districts in the country to bring well-nigh negotiated settlement of disputes between the parties. All the State Legal Services Authorities are taking steps to establish these Centers which would prove immensely useful for settling legal disputes at pre-litigative stage and would moreover help legal services functionaries to find out as to whether a person unescapable them for legal aid has or not a prima facie specimen in his favour which is a pre-requisite for grant of legal aid. Hon. Executive Chairman has repeatedly emphasised that legal aid must not be given as a matter of routine and frivolous cases should not be supported by legal aid authorities. Hon. Mr. Justice S.P. Bharucha, Executive Chairman, NALSA while writing in 'Nyaya Deep' and in the undertow of his keynote write in the meeting of the Member Secretaries held in NALSA office on 19.2.2000 emphasised the need for improving the quality of legal aid that is stuff given by legal aid advocates. His Lordship observed that teeming millions of this country who live unelevated poverty line in tribal, wrong-side-up and far flung areas squint to Legal Services Authorities for help and support in resolving their legal problems. When involved in litigation they very often finger that they are fighting an unequal wrestle in which the party that has largest financial resources can secure increasingly worldly-wise legal assistance. His Lordship is of the view that these poor and weaker sections must not remain under the impression that they are getting restrictedly junior legal assistance. His Lordship has tabbed upon legal services authorities to revise the payment schedule for legal aid panel advocates and moreover shrink the panels so that panel advocates get increasingly work and largest remuneration from legal services authorities and thus get encouraged to render constructive legal assistance to aided persons. His Lordship Hon. Mr. Justice B.N.Kirpal, Judge, SupremeMagistrateof India and Chairman, SupremeMagistrateLegal Services Committee has a very long undertone with legal aid movement. Under the guidance and tenancy of His Lordship, SupremeMagistrateLegal Services Committee is providing legal aid to eligible persons in a very constructive and meaningful way. Up to 31.12.99 SupremeMagistrateLegal Services Committee has provided legal aid and assistance to 10,125 applicants. 'Nyaya Deep', the official newsletter of NALSA is promoting a healthy working relationship between legal services functionaries throughout the country and is proving immensely useful for mart of views and sharing of ideas. Statistical information in regard to legal aid schemes and programmes is moreover included in this newsletter which is printed on quarterly basis. The editorials written by Hon. Mr. Justice R.C. Lahoti reflect the soul of 'Nyaya Deep' and measure the depth of the material included therein. These provide a window to the reader who in one glance through it can fathom the content and purpose of the articles. NALSA is laying unconfined deal of accent on legal literacy and legal sensation campaign.Scrutinizinglyall the State Legal Services Authorities are identifying suitable and trustworthy NGOs through whom legal literacy wayfarers may be taken to tribal, wrong-side-up and far-flung areas in the country. The effort is to publicise legal aid schemes so that the target group, for whom Legal Services Authorities Act has provided for self-ruling legal aid, may come to know well-nigh the same and tideway the concerned legal services functionaries. NALSA has moreover tabbed upon State Legal Services Authorities to set up legal aid cells in jails so that the prisoners lodged therein are provided prompt and efficient legal aid to which they are entitled by virtue of section 12 of Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Hon. The Chief Justice of India His Lordship Hon. Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, while delivering the inaugural write at the SecondYearlymeet of the State Legal Services Authorities at Hyderabad, had pointed out that a very large number of undertrial prisoners lodged in jails are involved in petty criminal offences. His Lordship expressed his deep wound and stated that these poor and under privileged prisoners are languishing in jails for fairly long period in spite of the fact that they are willing to plead guilty and the ultimate sentences which are likely to be passed versus them will be far less than the period they are incarcerated as undertrial prisoners. His Lordship suggested that the CJMs/CMMs of the areas in which the District Jails are situated should hold their courts in jails once or twice in a month for disposing of the cases of such undertrial prisoners. In many States, the suggestion has once been implemented and the prisoners involved in petty and minor offences are getting substantial relief. A reprinting of news item reported in the Hindu daily is attached. Sensitization of Judicial Officers in regard to legal aid schemes and programmes is moreover upper on our agenda. His Lordship Hon. Mr. Justice S.P. Bharucha, Executive Chairman, NALSA while writing from the Desk of the Executive Chairman in Jan.,99 Issue of 'Nyaya Deep' had observed that not all judicial officers in the country are duly sensitized to Legal Services Schemes and programmes and as such are unable to guide poor litigants in this regard. His Lordship observed that Legal Services Authorities must ensure that Judicial officers are duly sensitized well-nigh the work NALSA is doing and its importance for the poor and illiterate. In the last Chief Justices' Conference held at New Delhi, a resolution was passed to say that in the service records of the Judicial officers, their interest in legal aid programmes should be reflected and all theUpperCourts should take steps for sensitizing the Judicial officers in regard to legal aid programmes and schemes. Once all the judicial officers in the country get properly sensitized in regard to the relevance and importance of legal aid schemes they shall themselves start caring for the poor, wrong-side-up and weaker sections of the society who are not in a position to engage their own counsel and squint without their legal causes. His Lordship Hon. Mr. Justice S.P. Bharucha, Executive Chairman, NALSA has repeatedly tabbed upon State Legal Services Authorities to protract to hold Lok Adalats on old pattern so that the pace of the disposal of cases through Lok Adalats is not inhibited. Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalats are primarily aimed at settling disputes at pre-litigative stage and increasingly contentious pending matters in District courts in which the parties can be motivated only by repeated sitting to victorious at settlement. Counselling and Conciliation Centers at Districts and Permanent Lok Adalats in Districts can be under same roof and can powerfully function in unison. Most significant contribution by Legal Services Authorities to the wardship of justice would be to settle legal disputes through Lok Adalats at pre-litigative stage so that the inflow of cases in our once over-burdened courts is reduced to the extent possible. Most of the offices of the State Legal Services Authorities are now equipped with FAX machines, computers and E-mail facilities. These modern gadgets shall surely help legal services functionaries to act swiftly to provide legal aid and assistance to the eligible persons in a meaningful manner. During the Chairmanship of the then Hon’ble Executive Chairman, Mr. Justice Altamas Kabir, the pursuit innovative steps have been introduced in the functioning of NALSA:- A National Plan ofWhoopeeto be executed by all State Legal Services Authorities and Calendar for activities was put in place. NALSA Regulations on Lok Adalat were published in the Gazette. NALSA Regulations on  Free and Competent Legal Services were published in the Gazette of India. Legal Services to Trans-Gender people was taken up as a new project of NALSA. Training of Para-Legal Volunteers and engaging them in the front offices of Legal Services Institutions and in the village  level legal aid clinics were  started. Legal Literacy Programmes in schools and colleges started in an organised manner with the assistance of the Department of Education in all States. School Legal Literacy Clubs set up in allUpperSchools under the State Legal Services Authorities in order to create legal awareness, obedience to law and spread the philosophy of rule of law amongst the younger generation. Legal Aid Clinics in all villages to be manned by Para-legal Volunteers and panel lawyers. Retainer lawyers are engaged at Taluk, District, HighMagistrateand SupremeMagistratelevel for handling legal aided cases. NALSA is very sure that under the kind patronage and guidance of Hon. The Chief Justice of India and Hon. Executive Chairman, a vibrant nationwide network of Legal Services Authorities shall be made misogynist to the people to provide self-ruling and competent legal services to the eligible persons. NALSA is keen to develop and promote a culture of conciliation instead of litigation in the country so that the citizens of this country prefer to resolve their disputes and differences wideness the table in a spirit of goodwill and brotherhood. NALSA moreover wishes to ensure that plane the weakest amongst the weak in the country does not suffer injustice welling out of any undermining whoopee on the part of State or private person.   Terms & Conditions Site Map Disclaimer Brochures Calendar of Activities Events Grievance Redressal Unique Visitor:482,596 This website belongs to National Legal ServicesValidity(NALSA), Government of India. ©2016 All rights reserved. Site designed, ripened and hosted by NIC (National Informatics Centre.) Contents published on various links on this Website are stuff managed and maintained by National Legal ServicesValidity(NALSA). For any content related query on this website, please contact concerned department.