Punjab Legal Services Authority and Free Legal Aid Schemes

Article 39-A of the Constitution implies duty on the state provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society with a view to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or any other disability.

Punjab Legal Services Authority

The legal services authority act, 1987 came into force throughout the country with effect from 9th November 1995. Thereafter Punjab government constituted Punjab legal services authority which came into being on 4th October 1996. Honorable Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court is the Patron-in-chief while honorable Judge is executive chairman of this authority. Judicial officer of the rank of district Judge is a member secretary of the authority. At each district and sub divisional level, district legal services authority as well as sub divisional legal services committee have been constituted. District and Sessions Judge is the chairman of the district legal services authority whereas Additional civil judge (senior division) is the chairman of sub-divisional legal services committee.

Punjab legal services authority, Chandigarh provides free legal services to the poor and the weaker sections of society to protect the legal rights.

Who are entitled to free legal service ?

1. Member of scheduled caste or scheduled tribe
2. A victim of trafficking in human beings or beggar
3. A woman or a child
4. A person with disability such as suffering from blindness, leprosy, locomotor disability, hearing impairment, mental incapacity
5. A victim of masts disaster, ethnic violence, cast atrocity, lard, dropped, earthquake or industrial disaster
6. An industrial work man
7. An undertrial in custody, including a juvenile or a mentally ill person in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home
8. A person with an annual income of less than Rs.1 lakh

Modes of legal services :

1. Providing assistance of advocates for defending the cases pending in the courts at each level that is subdivision, district, High Court or Honourable Supreme Court
2. Free legal advice
3. Payment of court fee, process fee, diet money of witness, counsel fee and other miscellaneous expenses incurred in litigation
4. Disposal of cases through conciliation Centre, mediation Centre and Lok Adalats
5. Free services of advocate to each under trial/accused during remand hours

How can legal services be availed ?

The request for availing legal services in writing or verbally, can be made to the member secretary, Punjab legal services authority, Chandigarh, district and Sessions Judge, civil judge senior division at subdivisional level, Asst district attorney (legal services) or in the front offices, legal aid clinics and legal literacy clubs.

In case you are unable to contact your local authorities for getting help for yourself, you can contact us as well, and provide your details, so that we can do the needful and do our best efforts to get you help in availing free legal services.

   Download this "Free Legal Services Application form" - http://g8.geekupd8.com/FLS-Form

Cases where legal services can be provided :

Free legal services can be provided in the below mentioned cases:

1. All kind of civil and criminal cases
2. Property matter and execution
3. Matrimonial/family disputes
4. Appeals, writ, review/revision etc
5. Cases pending in the commissions and tribunals
6. Cases relating to violation of fundamental rights are public interest litigation