National Legal Services Day is marked every year on 9th November to celebrate the commencement of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 which came into force on this very day in 1995.
National Legal Services Day is marked every year on 9th November to celebrate the commencement of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 which came into force on this very day in 1995. This day was established with a mandate to offer support and help to weaker sections of society including Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, women, disabled persons, natural calamities victims, and human trafficking victims.
National Legal Services Day is crucial in raising public knowledge about various provisions of the Legal Services Authorities Act as well as litigants’ rights. The Day is commemorated to educate citizens about the various aspects of the Legal Services Authorities Act and litigants’ rights. Each jurisdiction arranges legal help camps, Lok adalats, and legal aid programmes on this day.
Role of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)
The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was established in 1995 by the Legal Services Authorities Act of 1987. It is an act of the Parliament of India for enforcing the provisions of Article 39 A of the Constitution. The authority carried out operations such as providing free legal aid and guidance to the needy and resolving issues through mediation and amicable settlement. NALSA was a one-of-a-kind endeavour to reduce court backlogs in India while providing access to justice for low-income litigants.
NALSA was a unique effort for minimising the backlogs of courts in India and for affording access to justice for needy litigants. Authorities/institutions that provide free legal aid. Authorities/institutions that have been established to provide free legal aid to poor and weaker sections of the society are NALSA, Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), 39 High Court Legal Services Committees (HCLSCs), 37 State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs), 673 District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs), and 2465 Taluk Legal Services Committees (TLSCs).
National Legal Services Day: History
The Legal Services Authorities Act of 1987 was passed on October 11, 1987, and took effect on November 9, 1995. The Supreme Court of India established National Legal Services Day in 1995 to aid and support the poorer parts of society and to honour the passage of the Legal Services Authorities Act. National Legal Services Day was founded to support and assist weaker and poorer groups, including women, Scheduled Tribes, disabled people, Scheduled Castes, natural disaster victims, and human trafficking victims.