Free legal aid to poor villagers via video-conferencing

The government plans to provide free legal advice to the poor in 500 villages across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh via video-conferencing.
The law ministry today said a select group of lawyers would be assigned by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to give free legal advice to poor litigants and respondents in 500 common service centres (CSCs) in the two states, as part of a pilot project.
As per the 'tele-law' scheme, launched by the ministry last week, the lawyers will be based in the state capitals.
In a statement, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Tele-Law will fulfil our commitment to ensure access to justice and empowerment of the poor. The common service centres and para-legal volunteers will offer easy legal advice to litigants in rural India making them digitally and financially inclusive."

The platform will connect law school clinics, district legal service authorities, voluntary service providers and non-government organisations working on legal aid and empowerment of marginalised communities.