Introduction
Access
to justice is a cornerstone of democracy. In India, two pivotal institutions DSLSA
and NALSA work tirelessly to ensure that legal aid reaches the most
vulnerable. Established under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987,
these bodies uphold Article 39A of the Constitution, which mandates free
legal aid and equal justice for all. This means that every person who has need
for Legal assistance but is financially or socially not capable of getting it
on his own, this right under Article 39A of Indian Constitution makes it
mandatory for the state to provide such people with free legal aid, i.e. free
lawyers/ advocates in their cases, free consultation with legal experts for
their legal queries and more.
This is done with the objective to make our society balanced and let justice prevail in our society at every level irrespective of diversities present such as cast, creed, sex or religion. All are equal in the eyes of law and to further enforce this notion, all must get access to quality legal representation in before the courts of law.
Aims & Objectives
NALSA
and DSLSA was Formulated to make national policies for legal aid and access to
justice and Coordinate with State Legal Services Authorities to implement
schemes so prepared.
It
is also duty of these Authorities to Promote alternative dispute resolution
(ADR) mechanisms like Lok Adalat’s and mediation and Empower marginalized
groups including women, children, SC/ST communities, and persons with
disabilities.
DSLSA
is an extension to NALSA at micro levels of the society ensuring access to
justice for economically and socially weaker sections in Delhi.
Furthermore,
DSLSA has duty to implement legal aid schemes prepared by NALSA and other
government bodies and organize Lok Adalats at the district level. They also Promote
legal literacy through awareness programs in schools, communities, and prisons
and further support victims of crimes through compensation schemes and
counseling.
Functions
of DSLSA and NALSA are summarised in the table below:-
|
Authority |
Key Functions |
|
DSLSA |
-
Provides free legal aid and representation |
|
NALSA |
-
Designs and monitors legal aid programs nationwide |
Impact on Society
- Legal
Empowerment:
Both bodies have helped millions understand and exercise their legal rights. Had it not been for the initiatives by these bodies, there would have been unimaginable cases of injustice prevailing in our society as the people with capacity to hire lawyers would be dictating their commands and wills on people incapable of defending themselves in courts of law and hiring quality advocates for the same purpose. This would lead to a fear of courts in hearts of people which eventually becomes a cause of widespread injustice in the society. Fortunately, the problem was addressed aby the makers of the constitution and this did not happen. Although, there is a growing fear of approaching courts of law in the present society, but it is not because of not being effectively represented in courts or the courts not being able to do justice. it is mainly because of the time that it takes to get “justice” from courts in India. Well, this matter needs a discussion of its own and hence we shall discuss it later.
- Dispute
Resolution and reduction of Backlog:
These bodies have worked on and
implemented some schemes like Lok Adalats, which have resolved lakhs of cases
and have played a significant role in reducing court backlogs from what it used
to be. I remember when I started practice, Lok Adalats were not popular in
Delhi, nor were they as frequent. I would often see the courts, judges and
their staff frustrated by handling cases pending for more than 20 years. But as
Lok Adalats became more frequent and national Lok Adalats started to address
such cases, the courts saw previous backlog of pending cases decline and
further saw pendency of fresh petty offences like traffic challans and petty
offences, decline at a rapid pace. This has now brought the overall pendency of
the courts to a manageable level and is still continuing to improve the same.
- Victim
Support:
DSLSA also provides for Compensation
through schemes and One Stop Centres aid survivors of crimes, especially women
related crimes and socio legal offences.
- Inclusivity:
The efforts of DSLSA or NALSA do
not differentiate between people seeking legal aid. Legal aid is extended to
prisoners, acid attack victims, trans persons, and more.
Legal Literacy Programs
DSLSA,
apart of providing legal aid to needy, is also duty bound to educate people
about topics of concern in the society and hence runs a robust legal literacy
wing that targets both urban and rural populations, recognizing that even
literate individuals often lack awareness of their legal entitlements.
Key
Initiatives
- Legal
Literacy Camps & Seminars:
Held in schools, colleges, jails, police stations, and residential
societies. There are often field visits held to courts, jails, mediation centres,
and police stations wherein students are educated and given first hand
experience of workings and issues associated with such institutions.
- Public
Outreach: They
often spread Legal awareness through print/electronic media, and by
printing newsletters, and pamphlets and distributing it in areas, to
educate people about services and issues.
- Legal
Aid Clinics:
Operate in Public places, community centres and educational institutions
- Mobile
Vans & Nukkad Nataks:
Legal awareness is also spread through street plays and mobile outreach by
these bodies.
- Competitions
and Cultural Programs:
Painting, essay writing, debates on legal topics are often held in
respective districts and there are School children who perform skits and
songs on legal themes. Jingles competitions, phone-in shows, and
Doordarshan segments are also organised to spread awareness.
- Legal
Literacy Clubs:
as a step to ensure that new students are the ones who drive the
transformation in the society, these bodies have established in schools
and colleges to train students as legal ambassadors about legal literacy
and challenges associated with it.
- Internships: Law students are also
offered internships in the district court offices of DSLSA and NALSA so as
to engage them in grassroots legal aid work.
Successful Legal Aid Initiatives
Following
are some successful initiatives by Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA)
and NALSA
Nyaya Bandhu Platform
- Connects
10,000+ pro bono advocates with eligible beneficiaries directly.
- 89
law schools have Pro Bono Clubs to promote legal aid culture
Tele-Law Services
- Available
in 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across 766 districts
- Provided
legal advice to over 60 lakh beneficiaries, including women, SC/ST, and
children
DISHA Scheme
- This
scheme Integrates Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu (pro bono services), and legal
literacy and uses tech and regional IEC materials to reach remote areas
Project Aaroh: Vidhik Sewa ke Badhte Kadam
- Organised
by NALSA in 2023 it was a week-long campaign during National Legal
Services Day (Nov 1–7, 2023) which included 260 programs across 12
districts, benefiting over 67,000 people
- Activities
such as Legal literacy camps, mega legal services camps, outreach to
jails, schools, and marginalized communities were orgainised as part of
this initiative.
Legal Aid Vans
- 19
mobile vans were launched to reach slums and underserved areas in Delhi
which conducted 73 legal aid camps, reaching 8,700+ people
- These
vans were part in educating citizens on domestic violence, child rights,
and registered construction workers for welfare benefits
Project Saksham
- This
project focuses on rehabilitation of undertrial prisoners to make
arrangements for them to integrate their power and resources back into the
society without facing discrimination. This includes job fairs, skill
development projects, and reintegration support.
Current Challenges Faced by DSLSA & NALSA
Operational & Structural Issues
- Low
beneficiary reach:
Despite 80% of Indians being eligible, only ~15 million have accessed
legal aid since 1995. This needs to be addressed for such organisations to
continue to be relevant.
- Staff
shortages:
Many District Legal Services Authorities operate below sanctioned
strength.
- Non-appearance
of legal aid counsels:
Courts have flagged delays due to assigned counsels not showing up,
leaving vulnerable litigants unrepresented. However, with recent changes
in place, in my view, such delays have gone down to negligible levels,
which is on par or slightly better than that of a private counsel.
- Monitoring
gaps: Lack of
robust systems to track counsel performance and ensure accountability and
pay their fee bill is one problem. When you ask any legal Aid counsel, the
first complaint you will get is of fee bill issues in the organisation. These
bodies have predetermined rates for each service that a counsel performs,
which are frankly outdated and do not account for current inflation and
economy challenges. I can write a whole new article on this subject, but
let’s leave it at the fact that currently the fee of an Advocate working
for DLSA in Delhi is way lower than minimum wage of unskilled labour in
Delhi for year 2016, which is sad to say the least. This needs to change
if these bodies intend to keep “quality” professionals working for them.
- Undertrial
rehabilitation:
Despite initiatives like Project Saksham, reintegration of released
prisoners remains difficult due to stigma and limited job opportunities.
- Legal
literacy gaps:
Despite extensive programs, many citizens remain unaware of their rights
or how to access aid.
- Resource
and Budget constraints:
India spends less than ₹1 per capita annually on legal aid which is among
the lowest globally. Further limited staff and infrastructure in Legal Aid
Clinics and outreach centres with prolonged period for payment of fee
bills of concerned advocates (LACs) and non-efficient and not so
user-friendly procedure to raise such bills with the bodies have formed
doubts amongst staff with regards to resource allocation of such bodies.
This may eventually lead to lack of confidence in such bodies if remain
unaddressed.
Impact of Challenges on Access to Justice
1. Delayed or Denied Representation
- When
legal aid counsels fail to appear or are inadequately trained, the victims
may face trial without proper defence, especially in criminal cases, which
counters the very basis of providing legal aid to such victims.
- Due
to this undertrial prisoners, women survivors, and marginalized groups
often remain unheard or misrepresented, leading to unjust outcomes.
2. Low Awareness = Low Utilization
- Despite
eligibility, over 80% of Indians don’t access legal aid due to lack of
awareness.
- Vulnerable
groups like domestic violence survivors, trans persons, and rural poor
people don’t know where or how to seek help, even when services exist.
3. Geographic & Digital Barriers
- Rural
and remote populations face physical inaccessibility to legal aid centres.
The digital divide limits access to Tele-Law and e-court services,
especially for those without smartphones or internet. Hence we see DSLSA
and NALSA focussing on front offices and offline access of their offices
for people.
- Although
in my opinion, this cannot be the justification for not providing services
via online modes. If these bodies do not adapt according to changing
times, and if they do not start providing services like online appointment
of Counsels, enquiry services, having a functional and intuitive online
App for mobiles and online legal literacy campaigns, they will struggle to
survive in the long run.
4. Limited Para-Legal Volunteer (PLV) Reach
- PLVs
are crucial for last-mile delivery, but many are undertrained or
underpaid, limiting their effectiveness. This affects community-level
support, especially in slums, tribal belts, and prisons.
How to Contact
·
Delhi State Legal
Services Authority (DSLSA)
|
Method |
Details |
|
Central Office |
3rd
Floor, Rouse Avenue District Court Complex, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg,
New Delhi – 110002 |
|
Helpline Numbers |
15100
(24×7 Toll-Free), 1516, 9870101337 |
|
Email |
lae-dslsa@gov.in |
|
Website |
|
|
Live Video Conferencing |
Available
10 AM to 5 PM on working days |
|
Legal Aid Clinics |
Located
in courts, jails, and community centres, Police Stations across Delhi |
·
National Legal Services
Authority (NALSA)
|
Method |
Details |
|
Correspondence Address |
B-Block,
Ground Floor, Administrative Buildings Complex, Supreme Court of India, New
Delhi – 110001 |
|
Communication Address |
Jaisalmer
House, 26, Man Singh Road, New Delhi – 110011 |
|
Helpline Number |
15100
(IVRS-based, multilingual) |
|
Phone |
011-23382778,
23071450 |
|
Email |
nalsa-dla@nic.in |
|
Website |
Conclusion:
In
conclusion, we learned the importance of organisations like NALSA and DSLSA and
the impact they have on our society. It is for these bodies that we have
justice prevailing in our justice system. The contributions made by these
bodies are not optional but necessary for our social structure in our country
to be able to sustain itself.
We
also learned that these bodies are not perfect in any way and do face some
important challenges before them of the likes of modernisation, outreach and
budgetary constraints. But even with these challenges the efforts made by these
bodies in the field of legal literacy, free legal aid and managing backlog of
the courts in our country is commendable.
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Sources/ References :
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Related Blogs:
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1. Perspective Dive: State of Undertrial Prisoners in India
1.
From Loss to Recovery: BNSS Victim Compensation Unveiled
1.
Securing Witnesses: A Deep Dive into BNSS Section 398’s Witness Protection Scheme
1.
National Lok Adalat: Bridging Justice Beyond Courtrooms With A Hint of Compassion
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Disclaimer:
This Article/essay provides general information and does not constitute legal
advice. Consult a qualified legal professional for specific cases.
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 & National Legal Services Authority (NALSA): Guardians of Justice){kind=link}
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