First Ever All India District Legal Service Authorities Meet

In order to bring homogeneity and synchronization across 676 Districts Legal Service Authority (DLSAs), The Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi will address the first ever District Legal Services Authorities Meet at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

National Legal Services Authority (Section 3), State Legal Services Authority ( Section 6) and District Legal Service Authority ( Section 9) constituted in the year 1987.

The Legal Service Authority Act 1987 provided for constitution of NALSA (Section3), SLSA( Section6) and DLSA ( Section 9)

As per Preamble of the The Legal Service Authorities Act of 1987, the above authorities are:

“to provide free and competent legal services to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities”.

Chief Justice of India is the Patron in Chief of the central authority, Chief Justice of High Court is the Patron in Chief of State Authority and District Judge is the Chairman of District Legal Service Authority (DLSA).

Constitution of India under Article 39 A provides that,”The State shall secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice, on a basis of equal opportunity, and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.”

Supreme Court Judge and Executive Chairman Justice Uday U Lalit once said,”Legal aid to poor does not mean poor legal aid“. Stressing on the need of good quality legal aid Justice Lalit said, “most of us who deserve or the potential beneficiaries of free legal aid is not even aware of their rights. Only 1% of the total criminal cases heard in the courts of law get legal aid from the offices of Legal Services Authorities across the country. Is it that the remaining 99% of the general public doesn’t want legal aid? There could be two reasons for not getting legal aid.”

To Read The Act, Click here:

The Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987