With reference to the National Legal Services Authority, consider the following statements:
1. Its objective is to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of society on the basis of equal opportunity.
2. It issues guidelines for the State Legal Services Authorities to implement the legal programmes and schemes throughout the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The correct answer is Both 1 and 2.
Key Points
- 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 the society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
- Hence statement 1 is correct.
- In every State, 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.
- NALSA issues guidelines for the State Legal Services Authorities to implement the legal programmes and schemes throughout the country.
- Hence statement 2 is correct.
Additional Information
- Objectives of Legal Services Authorities are:
- Provide free legal aid and advice.
- Spread legal awareness.
- Organize lok adalats.
- Promote settlements of disputes through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanisms. Various kinds of ADR mechanisms are Arbitration, Conciliation, Judicial settlement including settlement through Lok Adalat, or Mediation.
- Provide compensation to victims of crime.
- Persons Eligible for Free Legal Services:
- Women and Children
- Persons with disability
- Member of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribes
- Industrial Workmen
- Persons in custody
- Victims of natural disasters, ethnic/caste violence, industrial disaster
- Victims of Human Trafficking or Begar
- Persons with an annual income of less than Rs. 1,00,000/- or as notified by the Central/State Governments.
