Legal Aid Defence Counsel system launched in 365 districts

New Delhi, August 21

Terming litigation a “bleeding wound”, Chief Justice of India-designate and NALSA Executive Chairman Justice UU Lalit on Sunday launched Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) system in 365 districts in 22 states across India, including 18 in Haryana and 11 in Punjab, to extend legal aid to the poor.

Litigation like a bleeding wound

Litigation is like a bleeding wound — the more you let it bleed, the more the man suffers. Over 70 per cent of the population is below poverty line, but only 12 per cent opt for legal aid. — Justice UU Lalit, CJI-Designate

“Litigation is like a bleeding wound — the more you let it bleed, the more the man suffers. Especially when it comes to criminal cases, these are not thrust by choice but the person is forced by his circumstances, which is why the reaction time is very less and consequently, the person gets sucked in a trap for which he has to sell or mortgage his property,” Justice Lalit said.

“Over 70 per cent of the population is below poverty line, but only 12 per cent opt for legal aid. What does the population between 12 per cent to 70 per cent do? They are forced to opt for private lawyers.… They must have sold their assets, they must have sold their jewellery, they must have mortgaged their property, that is what the litigation brings in,” the CJI-designate said.

The LADC is a NALSA-funded project to provide free legal aid to poor people facing criminal cases to defend themselves during trial.

The 18 districts of Haryana selected for expansion of LADC Scheme are: Ambala, Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Faridabad Hisar, Jind, Jhajjar, Kurikshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Mewat, Narnaul, Palwal, Rohtak, Rewari, Sirsa, Sonepat and Yamunanagar.

The 11 Punjab districts included in the LADC scheme are Bhatinda, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurudaspur, Kapurthala, Mansa, Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur and SAS Nagar.

Similarly, six districts of Himachal Pradesh — Kangra at Dharamsala, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan and Una — and 10 of Jammu and Kashmir, including Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kupwara, Kulgam, Jammu, Kathua, Poonch, Udhampur and Kishtwar, have been included in the scheme.