NSLSA opens legal stall at Hornbill Festival

Our Correspondent
Kohima | December 1

The Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) has opened a legal stall to extend free legal aid to the public at the ongoing Hornbill Festival.  

Located near Bamboo Hall in Kisama, it was formally inaugurated by Justice Michael Zothankhuma, Judge, Gauhati High Court, Aizawl bench.  

Zothankhuma was appreciative of NSLSA for setting such centre to extend free legal service to the downtrodden and the needy people.  

Nino Iralu, member secretary NSLSA delivered welcome address.  

Service available in the centre includes legal counseling and legal advice, legal literacy in English and local dialect, any petition and affidavit drafting, basic lessons in law slide show, skit play.  

District judges, panel lawyers and paralegal volunteers from 11 districts of Nagaland are in attendance to assist and help the public on legal matter.  

In the Directive Principle of State Policy (part IV of the Constitution), the principle of equal justice and free legal aid has been enumerated in Article 39A which provides that the state shall secure that operation of the legal system promotes justice, on the basis of equal opportunity, and shall provide free legal aid to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.  

According to NSLSA, poverty, social and economical backwardness and illiteracy are some of the major factors which prevent many of the underprivileged sections of society from getting relief from the courts.  

The Legal Service Authority Act 1987 was enacted making provisions for providing free legal aid and legal awareness amongst all.  

The legal service authorities provide legal services by spreading awareness about legal rights amongst the people, informing the citizens about their entitlements under various schemes floated by the government, providing paralegal volunteers, setting up legal aid clinics, providing free counsel to the litigant and meeting the cost of litigation, holding Lok Adalats etc.  

Who are entitled to get free legal aid?

* Any member of scheduled caste or scheduled tribe community

* A victim of human trafficking or beggar

* Any woman or child

* A victim of drug abuse

* Workers in unrecognized sector

* Any person with disability

* A victim of mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster

* An industrial workman

* A person in custody including custody in protective home under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956 or juvenile home or in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home

* Any person whose annual income is less than Rs. 1 lakh in the state of Nagaland.