Legal Aid Defence Counsel office launched in dist

Jalandhar, August 17

Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Ravi Shankar Jha and Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia on Thursday virtually inaugurated the Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) system in ADR centre, judicial complex.

Justice Arun Palli and Justice Harpreet Kaur Jeevan, Judges of Punjab and Haryana High Court and Member Secretary, Punjab State Legal Services Authority Manjinder Singh, District and Sessions Judge-cum Chairman District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Nirbhow Singh Gill and CJM-cum-Secretary DLSA Gagandeep Kaur along with the counsels were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia said that Legal Aid Defence Counsels were appointed at DLSA Jalandhar for providing speedy justice. He further said that in criminal cases, to defend the cases of the accused, one legal aid defence counsel, three deputy legal aid defence counsels, and four assistant legal aid defence counsels were already appointed.

District and Sessions Judge Nirbhow Singh Gill, who is chairman of DLSA, said that Legal Aid Defence Counsel Scheme – 2022 would be beneficial to the undertrials/convicts and the office of these Legal Aid Defence Counsels has been set up at ADR Centre, Jalandhar. He further said that under the Legal Services Authorities Act — 1987 in complaint cases, matrimonial disputes, and other civil cases, the panel advocates will handle the same. All the eligible persons like women, children, persons belonging to SC, ST categories, and any person whose income is less than Rs 3 lakh per annum can take the benefit of free legal services.

CJM-cum-DLSA Secretary Gagandeep Kaur said that the cases were being disposed through mediation and lok adalats. Further, she said that compensation was also being provided by DLSA to rape victims, victims under POCSO Act, acid attack victims, and in accidental cases where the accused was untraced. Any person can contact on toll-free number 1968.