About National Legal Services Authority:
- It was established under the Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987.
- Purpose: To provide free and competent legal services to the poor and marginalised sections of the society including Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST).
- Structure of Legal Services:
- NALSA is housed at Supreme Court of India, New Delhi
- In every State, a State Legal Services Authority and in every High Court, a High Court Legal Services Committee has been constituted.
- District Legal Services Authorities and Taluk Legal Services Committees have been constituted in the Districts and most of the Taluks to give effect to the policies and directions of the NALSA.
- The free legal services include:
- Payment of court fees, process fees, and all other charges payable or incurred in connection with any legal proceedings;
- Providing the service of lawyers in legal proceedings;
- Obtaining and supply of certified copies of orders and other documents in legal proceedings.
- Preparation of appeal, paper book, including printing and translation of documents in legal proceedings.
- Persons eligible for free legal services includes:
- Women and children
- Members of SC/ST
- Industrial workmen
- Victims of mass disasters, violence, flood, drought, earthquake, and industrial disaster
- Disabled persons
- Persons in custody
- Persons whose annual income does not exceed Rs. 1 lakh (in the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee the limit is Rs. 5,00,000).
