About the Project ROLE OF PRO-BONO LAWYERING IN ENSURING ACCESS TO JUSTICE: A STUDY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO STATES OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, HARYANA, PUNJAB, UNION TERRITORIES OF CHANDIGARH AND JAMMU& KASHMIR an Action Research and Studies on Judicial Reforms Project under The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms (Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, GOI) Implementing Agency – Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla UPCOMING EVENTS : 1. Two-day Round Table Conference on ‘Law, Lawyering, and Justice Administration in India: Access to Justice through Pro-Bono Legal Services’ 03-04th December 2022. (Click here) 2. Reference-cum-Reading Material for RTC on Law, lawyering, and justice Administration. (Click here) 3. One-day Round Table Conference on Rights of Muslim Women -Reviewing Muslim Personal Law 17th December 2022. (Click here) 4. In News (Click here) About the Government of India National Mission: The Project India as a nation is endowed with vastness of resources and this vastness is amplified by the multiplicity of cultural juxtaposition geographically. This context, on one hand brings with it varied opportunities, while on the other hand, it has serious implications on governance at multiple levels. One of the core components of the governance mechanism is the justice dispensation system and accessibility to it. Access to justice (and as a corollary to the justice dispensation system) is one of the important issues for most people in the country. The Government of India has initiated a national mission on the subject for five years. The country has one of the most elaborate legal systems across the globe. Yet accessibility and mounting arrears of court remain major concerns. The national Government has initiated endeavors at various levels to ameliorate the overall legal system with special emphasis on minimizing the number of litigations in the country and ensuring access to justice to all. Further, the emphasis is also on making the judicial system more accessible to each and every person across the country. The project is established by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, under the Action Research and Studies on Judicial Reforms Project, as part of The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms. The national mission is intended to pursue the twin objectives, increasing access by reducing delays & arrears in the system, and enhancing accountability through structural changes, setting performance standards and enhancing capacities. Pro Bono Lawyering is intended to improve access to justice to the marginalized sections of society and foster the State's constitutional obligation of providing "free legal aid" for all. The requirement of developing the pro bono culture (of lawyering) is seen to be essential for the ultimate objectives of access to justice, and judicial and legal reforms. Under the mission, the department has the following objectives to achieve: 1. To have a coordinated approach for phased liquidation of arrears and pendency in judicial administration. 2. To have better infrastructure for courts including computerization, increase in strength of subordinate judiciary, policy and legislative measures in the areas prone to excessive litigation. 3. To ensure the re-engineering of courts' procedure for quick disposal of cases and emphasis on human resource development. 'Harnessing the advancements in technological interventions, DoJ is innovating with solutions and identifying platforms to provide legal advice and aid, that is not only accessible, but also responsive to the needs of different segments of the population. Making headway with this vision, in order to promote the expansion and penetration of Tele-Law online legal advice and consultation in the far flung and remote corners in the entire country, a mobile application has been developed for Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs). This mobile application will enable the PLVs to perform on field pre – registration of cases with a facility to seek appointment from the Panel lawyer on preferred date and time, in coordination with Village Level entrepreneur (VLE) at the CSC. The application will benefit 73,000 PLVs of National Legal Service Authority and State Legal Services Authorities (SLSA) in the country who will be associated under Tele-Law service. This mobile application is integrated with a Dashboard created to confirm and register the pre-registered cases, to enable online interface between the beneficiary and the panel lawyer stationed at SLSAs through videoconferencing and telephone facility available at each CSC and to measure the progress of advice enabled to the beneficiary, to all its key stakeholders that include Department of Justice (DoJ), CSC- e Governance Services India Limited(CSC e-Gov), National Legal Service Authority (NALSA)in a decentralized manner.' The Project being implemented by HPNLU, Shimla The Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla is currently undertaking a project to gauge the effectiveness of the initiatives by the Government and outreach of pro-bono lawyering in five northern States &Union Territories: HIMACHAL PRADESH, HARYANA, PUNJAB, UNION TERRITORIES OF CHANDIGARH AND JAMMU & KASHMIR. The project has, both, the qualitative and the quantitative aspects. The empirical studies are based on a collection of primary reliable, authentic, and impartial data from the identified stake holders of the Justice delivery system: 1. Judges 2. Lawyers 3. Law Firms 4. Scholars and Students of Law 5. Officials in the State and District Legal Services Authority 6. Officials in the Bar and Bench 7. Lawyers associated with the Governmental initiatives 8. NGOs The Research Team Dr. Chanchal Kumar Singh, Principal Investigator (Associate Professor of Law) Dr. Sachin Sharma, Associate Professor of Law Dr. Mritunjay Kumar, Assistant Professor of Law Mr. Aayush Raj, Assistant Professor of Law Dr. Arun Klair, Teaching and Research Associate Mr. Tijender Kumar Singh, Research Associate In addition, the Research Team has appointed five Field Investigators for the field work/data collection of quality implementation of the project. The collection of data has begun (from 1st Sep., 2022) in all five States, the universe of the project. The Universe of the Project & Duration The area covered by the project is quite large. It comprises of five State/UTs in the Country. On the basis of an exhaustive methodology formulated, the following districts have been identified for data collection: State of Haryana 1. Panchkula 2. Jhajjar 3. Faridabad 4. Sonipat 5. Karnal 6. Sirsa State of Punjab 1. Pathankot 2. Mohali 3. Muktsar 4. Ludhiana 5. Gurdaspur 6. Sangrur State of Himachal Pradesh 1. Kinnaur 2. Shimla 3. Kangra State of Jammu and Kashmir 1. Samba 2. Srinagar 3. Jammu 4. Baramula 5. Anantnag The duration of the project is two years -2022 and 2023. ‘Action Research Study’ As part of components of the ‘Action Research Study’, five Sub Groups of the Research Team have been visiting and meeting different stakeholders, judges, lawyers, personnel of the Legal Service Authority, teachers and scholars, relevant NGOs etc., in a well- planned manner, and on the basis of fixed agendas consisting of topics, issues and points relating to pro bono services. The part of the study plan is expected to fetch first-hand in sights and information for further research. Accordingly, new questionnaires may be devised for further primary data collection. This part of the study is being conducted in, at least 30% of the districts of each state/UTs. of the project Universe. ContactDr. Chanchal Kumar Singh Principal Investigator (Associate Professor of Law) Himachal Pradesh National Law University Shimla, 16 Miles, Shimla-Mandi National Highway, Ghandal, District Shimla, HP-171014 Phone: 0177-2779803 | Mob. 8076153198 Email - chanchalsingh@hpnlu.ac.in | probonoproject@hpnlu.ac.in
About the Project
ROLE OF PRO-BONO LAWYERING IN ENSURING ACCESS TO JUSTICE:
A STUDY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO STATES OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, HARYANA, PUNJAB, UNION TERRITORIES OF CHANDIGARH AND JAMMU& KASHMIR
an
Action Research and Studies on Judicial Reforms Project
under
The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms
(Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, GOI)
Implementing Agency – Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla
UPCOMING EVENTS :
1. Two-day Round Table Conference on ‘Law, Lawyering, and Justice Administration in India: Access to Justice through Pro-Bono Legal Services’ 03-04th December 2022.
(Click here)
2. Reference-cum-Reading Material for RTC on Law, lawyering, and justice Administration.
3. One-day Round Table Conference on Rights of Muslim Women -Reviewing Muslim Personal Law 17th December 2022.
4. In News
About the Government of India National Mission: The Project
India as a nation is endowed with vastness of resources and this vastness is amplified by the multiplicity of cultural juxtaposition geographically. This context, on one hand brings with it varied opportunities, while on the other hand, it has serious implications on governance at multiple levels. One of the core components of the governance mechanism is the justice dispensation system and accessibility to it. Access to justice (and as a corollary to the justice dispensation system) is one of the important issues for most people in the country. The Government of India has initiated a national mission on the subject for five years. The country has one of the most elaborate legal systems across the globe. Yet accessibility and mounting arrears of court remain major concerns. The national Government has initiated endeavors at various levels to ameliorate the overall legal system with special emphasis on minimizing the number of litigations in the country and ensuring access to justice to all. Further, the emphasis is also on making the judicial system more accessible to each and every person across the country.
The project is established by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, under the Action Research and Studies on Judicial Reforms Project, as part of The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms.
The national mission is intended to pursue the twin objectives, increasing access by reducing delays & arrears in the system, and enhancing accountability through structural changes, setting performance standards and enhancing capacities. Pro Bono Lawyering is intended to improve access to justice to the marginalized sections of society and foster the State's constitutional obligation of providing "free legal aid" for all. The requirement of developing the pro bono culture (of lawyering) is seen to be essential for the ultimate objectives of access to justice, and judicial and legal reforms.
Under the mission, the department has the following objectives to achieve:
1. To have a coordinated approach for phased liquidation of arrears and pendency in judicial administration.
2. To have better infrastructure for courts including computerization, increase in strength of subordinate judiciary, policy and legislative measures in the areas prone to excessive litigation.
3. To ensure the re-engineering of courts' procedure for quick disposal of cases and emphasis on human resource development.
'Harnessing the advancements in technological interventions, DoJ is innovating with solutions and identifying platforms to provide legal advice and aid, that is not only accessible, but also responsive to the needs of different segments of the population. Making headway with this vision, in order to promote the expansion and penetration of Tele-Law online legal advice and consultation in the far flung and remote corners in the entire country, a mobile application has been developed for Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs). This mobile application will enable the PLVs to perform on field pre – registration of cases with a facility to seek appointment from the Panel lawyer on preferred date and time, in coordination with Village Level entrepreneur (VLE) at the CSC. The application will benefit 73,000 PLVs of National Legal Service Authority and State Legal Services Authorities (SLSA) in the country who will be associated under Tele-Law service.
This mobile application is integrated with a Dashboard created to confirm and register the pre-registered cases, to enable online interface between the beneficiary and the panel lawyer stationed at SLSAs through videoconferencing and telephone facility available at each CSC and to measure the progress of advice enabled to the beneficiary, to all its key stakeholders that include Department of Justice (DoJ), CSC- e Governance Services India Limited(CSC e-Gov), National Legal Service Authority (NALSA)in a decentralized manner.'
The Project being implemented by HPNLU, Shimla
The Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla is currently undertaking a project to gauge the effectiveness of the initiatives by the Government and outreach of pro-bono lawyering in five northern States &Union Territories: HIMACHAL PRADESH, HARYANA, PUNJAB, UNION TERRITORIES OF CHANDIGARH AND JAMMU & KASHMIR. The project has, both, the qualitative and the quantitative aspects. The empirical studies are based on a collection of primary reliable, authentic, and impartial data from the identified stake holders of the Justice delivery system:
1. Judges
2. Lawyers
3. Law Firms
4. Scholars and Students of Law
5. Officials in the State and District Legal Services Authority
6. Officials in the Bar and Bench
7. Lawyers associated with the Governmental initiatives
8. NGOs
The Research Team
Dr. Chanchal Kumar Singh, Principal Investigator
(Associate Professor of Law)
Dr. Sachin Sharma, Associate Professor of Law
Dr. Mritunjay Kumar, Assistant Professor of Law
Mr. Aayush Raj, Assistant Professor of Law
Dr. Arun Klair, Teaching and Research Associate
Mr. Tijender Kumar Singh, Research Associate
In addition, the Research Team has appointed five Field Investigators for the field work/data collection of quality implementation of the project. The collection of data has begun (from 1st Sep., 2022) in all five States, the universe of the project.
The Universe of the Project & Duration
The area covered by the project is quite large. It comprises of five State/UTs in the Country. On the basis of an exhaustive methodology formulated, the following districts have been identified for data collection:
State of Haryana
1. Panchkula
2. Jhajjar
3. Faridabad
4. Sonipat
5. Karnal
6. Sirsa
State of Punjab
1. Pathankot
2. Mohali
3. Muktsar
4. Ludhiana
5. Gurdaspur
6. Sangrur
State of Himachal Pradesh
1. Kinnaur
2. Shimla
3. Kangra
State of Jammu and Kashmir
1. Samba
2. Srinagar
3. Jammu
4. Baramula
5. Anantnag
The duration of the project is two years -2022 and 2023.
‘Action Research Study’
As part of components of the ‘Action Research Study’, five Sub Groups of the Research Team have been visiting and meeting different stakeholders, judges, lawyers, personnel of the Legal Service Authority, teachers and scholars, relevant NGOs etc., in a well- planned manner, and on the basis of fixed agendas consisting of topics, issues and points relating to pro bono services. The part of the study plan is expected to fetch first-hand in sights and information for further research. Accordingly, new questionnaires may be devised for further primary data collection. This part of the study is being conducted in, at least 30% of the districts of each state/UTs. of the project Universe.
Contact