Legal assistance for women, children

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 14

The State Legal Services Authority (SLSA), UT, has approved the names of two advocates for legal-aid and support at the One Stop Centre (OSC) and 181 women helpline in Chandigarh.

The advocates are Aanchal Thakur and Manjit Kaur. Their appointment has been approved as per the directions from Justice Jaswant Singh, Punjab and Haryana High Court-cum-Executive Chairman, SLSA. The orders were passed to help women and children as they constitute one of the vulnerable sections, who may be requiring legal aid and assistance during the lockdown.

The legal aid counsels will be required to coordinate with the One-Stop Centre and officials handling women helpline number to give requisite legal aid to the needy through telephone or through video tools such as Zoom or any other technology mode.

The legal-aid helpline will be diverted to their mobile phones and information regarding the same will be conveyed to the OSC.

It is required during this phase the legal aid helpline numbers remain fully operational and are attended by lawyers from homes. The helpline will be handed over to the two lawyers concerned.

Rajeshwar Singh, Law Officer, SLSA, and Neil Roberts, Project Coordinator, District Legal Services Authority, are directed to give assistance to the deputed panel lawyers as per nature of a case. All legal-aid applications received through emails or online portal of NALSA may be dealt with on a daily basis.