LEGAL AID CLINICS

     Legal Aid Clinics are intended to provide legal relief easily accessible to the indigent and backward sections of our society. Legal Aid Clinics have to be manned by para-legal volunteers selected by the Legal Services Authorities and lawyers with a sense of commitment, sensibility and sensitiveness to the problems of common people. A lawyer manning the legal aid clinic provides legal services to the people. The thrust is on the basic legal services like legal advice and assisting in drafting of notices, replies, applications, petitions etc. The lawyer manning the legal aid clinic will also attempt to resolve the disputes of the people in the locality, preventing the disputes from maturing into litigation. This provides the lawyer in the legal aid clinic an opportunity to understand the difficulties faced by people in the distant villages for access to justice.

     As per NALSA Legal Aid Clinics Regulations, 2011, and instructions from time to time, Legal Aid Clinics were established in all the Districts at Jails, Law Colleges and Universities, villages and other community centers such as Police Stations, Juvenile Justice Institutions, Oldage Homes, Tribunals for Oldage Homes, Hospitals etc.

     The Jail Clinics are functioning in the Jails where the Jail Authorities have provided demarkated place within the Jail premises. In regard to other clinics, they are functioning in the premises provided by the local self Government Institutions such as Panchayat, Municipality, Revenue Office etc.

     Each Clinic is attached with a Panel Lawyer and a PLV. They visit the Legal Aid Clincs twice a week.

     The Panel Lawyer and PLV visit the clinics as above and interact with the villagers and explain them about the availability of Legal Services and Lok Adalat mechanism. As and when the villagers/ visitors express about their grievances, if any, the panel lawyer/PLV advise them suitably where to approach, how to approach for redressal of their grievances. They also assist them for preparing application and its submission to the Authority concerned. The PLVs extend assistance for securing necessary documents from other departments if any in support of their application to the department.

     As far as Jail Clinics are concerned, the panel lawyer and PLV visit 4 days a week as instructed by NALSA and interact with the Jail inmates and find out whether any inmate is in need of legal assistance/legal advice. The panel lawyer give legal advise to the prisoner whoever requires. They also inform the inmates about the progress of their case where legal aid is provided. If any prisoner require legal aid, they will provide legal aid through the respective DLSA/MLSC and ensure that no prisoner is left without legal representation.