Legal services duty-bound to ensure protection to the marginalised: SC Judge

Supreme Court judge and Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority Justice UU Lalit on Monday expressed the need to ensure legal protection for the marginalised sections of the society. The state legal services authority is duty-bound to ensure legal aid to weaker sections of the community, including women and children, he said. He was speaking at the Legal Awareness Camp and Expo organised by Kerala State Legal Services Authority at Thiruvananthapuram. The programme is organised as part of the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav.

"Even though many programmes are conducted by the Union and state governments for giving legal aid to the marginalised sections of the community, the results do not reach the beneficiaries as they are not aware of the existence of the schemes," Justice Lalit said.

"The service of the legal services institutions shall reach every nook and corner of the state. Constitution provides free legal aid to each and every eligible citizen. Hence there should be programmes for making the beneficiaries capacitated enough to avail the benefits by providing awareness," he added.

Justice Lalit had inaugurated a mega legal services camp at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on Sunday. He also flagged off five mobile vans which will travel through various parts of the state and spread awareness about the legal services available to citizens. During the inauguration, Justice Lalit noted that the pandemic has not dulled the spirits of the legal services institutions but has rather lifted spirits to render more and better services. On Saturday, he had also launched the nationwide legal awareness programme titled 'Empowerment of Women through legal awareness' at Varanasi. The programme is being conducted by the National Legal Services Authority in collaboration with National Commission for Women and UP State Legal Services Authority. Supreme Court judge Justice DY CHandrachud also joined the inaugural session virtually. Supreme Court judges Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Krishna Murari, and Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Rajesh Bindal were present at the event in Varanasi.