Free Legal Services
The sections of the society as enlisted under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act are entitled for free legal services, they are :
- A member of Schedule Caste/Tribe; or
- A victim of trafficking in human being or “beggar” as referred in Article 23 of the Constitution; or
- A woman or a child;
- A mentally ill or otherwise disabled person;
- A victim of mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster; or
- An industrial workman; or
- A person in custody including protective home, juvenile home, psychiatric hospital, psychiatric nursing home; or
- A person having an annual income not exceeding Rs. 3,00,000/-; or
- Senior Citizens, Transgenders, people infected with/ or directly affected by HIV/AIDS.
Free legal services entail the provision of free legal aid in civil and criminal matters for those poor and marginalized people who cannot afford the services of a lawyer for the conduct of a case or a legal proceeding in any court, tribunal or before an authority.
Provision of free legal aid may include:
- Representation by an Advocate in legal proceedings.
- Preparation of pleadings, memo of appeal, paper book including printing and translation of documents in legal proceedings;
- Drafting of legal documents, special leave petition etc.
- Rendering of any service in the conduct of any case or other legal proceeding before any court or other Authority or tribunal and;
- Giving of advice on any legal matter.
Free Legal Services also include provision of aid and advice to the beneficiaries to access the benefits under the welfare statutes and schemes framed by the Central Government or the State Government and to ensure access to justice in any other manner.
Eligible persons may apply to:
- Member Secretary, Manipur State Legal Services Authority;
- Secretary, High Court of Manipur Legal Services Committee;
- Chairman / Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA);
- Front Offices of MASLSA and DLSAs;
- Legal Aid Clinics.