On 20 April, Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad launched three digital initiatives for poor named as Tele law service, Nyaya Mitra scheme and Pro bono legal services. He said that the primary focus being transparency, good governance and digital delivery of services using technology for providing access to justice is in tandem with the Digital India initiative. The aim of these schemes is to connect those in need of legal aid with lawyers through use of technology. Under Tele-law service one seeks to connect litigants with lawyers through video conferencing facilities. Under Nyaya Mitra, a retired judicial officer, or an executive officer with judicial experience, will be put in charge of assisting those suffering due to judicial delays. And under the Pro-bono legal services lawyers can register themselves to volunteer pro-bono services for litigants who are unable to afford it.
All about the three initiatives of law ministry
Tele-law service
Tele law service aims to facilitates legal advice for marginalized communities through an expert panel of lawyers stationed at State Legal Services Centres (SLCA). It would help to connect poor people with laywers by video conferencing through the common service centres (CSCs). The project would be launched across 1,800 panchayats in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, North Eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir.
अब वीडियो कांफ्रेंस के द्वारा गांवों में गरीबों तक वकील की मुफ्त सलाह पहुंचेगी। इसे अभी 1800 कॉमन सर्विस सेंटर पर प्रारम्भ किया जा रहा है। pic.twitter.com/YFQUnNrwuo
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 21, 2017
Nyaya Mitra scheme
Nyaya Mitra scheme aims to reduce pendency of cases across selected districts, with a special focus on those pending for more than 10 years. This scheme would play a pivotal role in assisting litigants who are suffering due to delay in investigation or trial, by actively identifying such cases through the National Judicial Data Grid, providing legal advice and connecting litigants to government agencies and civil society organizations. This initiative would be launched in 227 districts—27 districts in the north east and J&K and 200 in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat, West Bengal.
न्याय मित्र अब दस वर्षों से अधिक समय से लंबित पड़े कोर्ट केस के निपटारे के लिए विशेष प्रयास करेंगे ताकि न्याय मिलने में और अधिक विलम्ब न हो। pic.twitter.com/Ut2x0hJrMv
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 21, 2017
Pro-bono legal services
Pro bono legal services is a web-based initiative which can be accessed through the website using which litigants from marginalised communities who cannot afford legal services can apply for legal aid and advice from pro bono lawyers. The main purpose behind this online initiative is to promote the concept of legal aid in an institutionalized manner and ensure that those lawyers who volunteer for such services are duly recognized.
I urge my lawyer friends to come forward to provide free legal services to poor. Register on https://t.co/OMY4lf2hqW. pic.twitter.com/RGBxvIOD1D
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 21, 2017
He also said “These initiatives will serve as a tool to give the poor, rural, marginalised communities a voice and ensure that everybody has equal access to justice”.
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