Legal services authority helps 406 unrepresented convicts in filing appeals

Convicts and undertrials languishing unrepresented in Punjab jails despite being entitled to free legal aid are finally seeing recourse, with the Punjab State Legal Services Authority (PULSA) filing criminal appeals in 406 cases on their behalf.

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The intervention stems from the nationwide “Mission Mode” initiative, conceived under the guidance of Supreme Court Judge and NALSA Executive Chairman Justice Surya Kant. The drive has seen legal services institutions across India mobilise to secure meaningful access to justice for prisoners left undefended, often for years. Justice Surya Kant has personally steered such initiatives across jurisdictions, including the Punjab and Haryana High Court—his parent court.

In Punjab, this national momentum has translated into “Mission Mode Punjab”, spearheaded by High Court Chief Justice and PULSA Patron-in-Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, and Executive Chairman Justice Deepak Sibal. The campaign seeks to ensure that no convict entitled to free legal aid is left unrepresented.

Working with District Legal Services Authorities and Taluk Legal Services Committees, PULSA initially identified 460 convicted prisoners across Punjab without legal representation. Appeals have already been filed in 406 of these cases, while the rest are in process.

“This is not a one-time exercise. The process is continuous and persistent so that legal aid reaches those who have long suffered in silence,” said Justice Sibal.

To further remove barriers to legal aid, PULSA has worked with the High Court Legal Services Committee to formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) enabling videoconferencing between legal aid counsel and inmates. Nodal officers have been appointed to ensure direct communication with prisoners whose cases are pending in the HC.

Running parallel to this is “Mission Parole Sahayata Abhiyan,” aimed at securing timely parole for eligible convicts. Legal Aid Clinics inside jails identify such prisoners, assist with application processes, and support them in filing appeals or writ petitions if parole is denied, ensuring that procedural hurdles do not bar access to lawful remedies.