Legal Services Mobile App Introduced By NALSA

The Theme song of National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) “Ahsaas sab ke liye, Vishwas sab ke liye” itself reflects for what NALSA is striving and aspiring. The National Legal Service Authority was constituted to provide free legal service to the weaker section of the society and to organise Lok Adalat for amicable settlement of dispute. To achieve its objective, various progressive steps have been taken by the NALSA . 

Legal Services Mobile App launched by NALSA in collaboration of Department of Justice (DOJ) on August 8, 2021 shows vision and concern of the Legal Service Authority towards ensuring availability of free legal aid and other legal services to needy and poor. Since 2017, it is the third effort of Government to ensure availability of aid to the needy in their doorstep using technology. The success of Tele Law scheme (launched in 2017), Nyay Bandhu mobile app (launched in 2019) acts as precursor of launching the similar app. Launching this kind of app will also promote digital literacy of common man as we all know that necessity is a mother of all invention. Switching the conventional mode of approaching legal service institution and opting this mode will be fruitful for every stake holder of legal service institution as it will save time, money of every beneficiary. Now a person need not to run here and there several times in the legal service institution even at initial stages of their query. The option of applying virtually for mediation service without approaching Court in appropriate cases will assist people as well as judiciary in resolving dispute of all eligible nature amicably through negotiation and eventually the burden of judiciary could also be reduced. Availability of approaching mediation centre virtually for the case being referred in mediation before approaching courts will go a long way as in Commercial matter through amendment 2019 referring the matter of commercial nature for the mediation is made mandatory before institution of the case.

This App could be downloaded from google play store of any android mobile phone and in future it will be available for IOS mobile user as well to ensure its availability to maximum number of people. Using this App, legal service institutions of different part of country could be connected together for the cause of justice within fraction of second to secure justice irrespective of their place caste and creed. This App will provide assistance in respect of all legal services which NALSA is providing i.e. Free Legal aid, victim compensation, mediation etc. After downloading the app a person personally (also legally authorised person) or office is required to choose the services he sought to avail i.e. free legal aid, victim compensation, mediation and the institution with whom he wants to connect i.e. NALSA ,State Legal Service Authority (SLSA), High Court Legal Service Committee (HCLSC), Supreme Court Legal Service Committee(SCLSC), District Legal Service Committee(DLSC), Taluqua Legal Service Committee (TLSC). After selecting institution a page of nature of grievance will appear and detail is required too be filled accordingly. After filling case detail next page related to personal detail will appear i.e. date of birth, education, place of residence, parentage etc and after filling this page the next page will open in which case detail is required to be filled ,accordingly case will be registered and the generated registration ID and Dairy number will be send to them in their phone number or given email id. In the same way application for other relief could be filled giving detail of relief, personal information and case. Under the App also a person can trace his application status using registration id or dairy number. Under the app, national help line number is also given 15100, any person with this app in his mobile could get his query resolved using this number and can also submit his grievance using NALSA email id (nalsa-dla@nic.in). Apart from this using the App information of all schemes and notification of NALSA could be accessed.

So, this initiative could be very fruitful in securing end of justice specially in the time of pandemic Covid 19 where physical distancing needs to be maintained. Availability of technology based legal service will go a long way in securing justice to vulnerable section of the society. Once the people know how through use of this app legal assistance could be availed hassle free, their desire to learn basics of technology will awaken. Also taking assistance of these Apps would be safer option for them as the concern of being humiliated and risk of life and safety prevent many of us to approach legal resources, hence denying justice to so many people without access to justice.