Free tele-law service for Indians; government launches legal aid app
Last-mile access to justice gets a boost; help on phone for the marginalised and oppressed
Pic - GoI
Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju, announced today that the government will no longer charge any fees for availing its tele-law service, a legal aid that is being provided to the marginalised from CSCs (Common Service Centres) in almost every district in India. It used to charge a fee of Rs.30/- to some users earlier.
The government has signed an agreement with National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to provide services of 700 lawyers, in each district exclusively for the tele-law program.
Tele-law is a free service that uses video conferencing and telephone services to connect lawyers to litigants that are from the marginalised sections of the society, for example, women, children, persons belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, victims of trafficking, mentally ill and differently-abled people, victims of natural disaster/ethnic violence, workers in unorganized/industrial workers, under trials, people of low-income group, under Section 12 of LSA Act, 1987. However, other needy people can also avail the service.
Legal matters currently under the purview of tele-law service include:
- Dowry, family dispute, divorce, protection from domestic violence.
- Sexual harassment, sexual abuse, eve teasing at the workplace.
- Maintenance of women children and senior citizens.
- Rights regarding property and land.
- Equal wages for males and females.
- Maternity benefits and prevention of foeticide.
- Prohibition of child marriage, protection of children from sexual assault, prevention of child labour and implementing right to education.
- Arrest – (F.I.R.)/process of registering the First Information Report.
- Atrocities against scheduled castes/scheduled tribes and their rehabilitation.
The service is currently available in 22 languages and all user data is kept confidential. One can choose the lawyers and time slots at the CSC or from the app (both Android and iOS).
This is likely to significantly increase the access to justice in India, especially for those that difficulty in going to the courts.
To find CSCs in Aspirational Districts, click http://www.tele-law.in/static/tele-law-aspirational-districts.php
For more information, click http://www.tele-law.in
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