9 lakh beneficiaries crossed in Tele-Law programme

Recently, Department of Justice commemorated the milestone of crossing nine lakh beneficiaries under its Tele-Law programme.

Highlights

• This programme connects disadvantaged and needy who are seeking legal advice from Panel Lawyers with the help of an e-interface platform available in Common Service Centres.
• Programme is currently operational in 633 districts. It includes 115 Aspirational Districts in 34 States and Union Territories by a network of 50 thousand Common Service Centres.
• Tele-Law has witnessed a growth of 369 per cent in number of beneficiaries seeking legal advice in last one year.
• This programme has the potential to foster inclusive character of justice delivery and strengthening rule of law.

Tele-Law programme

This programme was launched by Ministry of Law and Justice in collaboration with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It was launched in 2017 to tackle cases at pre–litigation stage. It connects Lawyers to Litigants through video conferencing facilities and telephone service to provide legal advice. It was launched with the aim of reaching out to needy especially the marginalized and disadvantaged. Under the programme, smart facilities like video conferencing, telephone or instant calling facilities are available through Common Service Centres at Panchayat level. These technologies are used to connect indigent, downtrodden, vulnerable, unreached groups with the Panel Lawyers for timely and valuable legal advice.

Significance of Programme

Tele Law programme enables people to get legal advice without wasting time and money. This service is free for those who are eligible for free legal Aid in accordance with Section 12 of Legal Services Authority Act, 1987.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2021