New Delhi: As the New Year rings in, thousands of marginalised and economically disabled people will be entitled to free legal aid in the Supreme Court. In a significant move, the central government has notified the new rules tripling the threshold of annual income required to make the cut for free legal services in the highest court of the land.
Under the amended rules, a person with annual income up to Rs 5 lakh will become eligible for free legal services in the Supreme Court. The previous rules had prescribed that only a person whose income from all sources does not exceed Rs 1.25 per annum shall be entitled to legal services under the Legal Services Act.
The amendment brought in the rules after consultation with the Chief Justice of India has now tripled this threshold keeping in view the price indices, minimum wage hike etc with the passage of time.
"In the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee Rules, 2000, in rule 7, for the letters, figures, brackets and words 'Rs 1,25,000 (Rupees One lakh twenty-five thousand)', the letters, figures, brackets and words 'Rs 5,00,000 (Rupees five lakh)' shall be substituted," states the new rules, notified on December 27.
The Legal Services Act provides that every person who has to file or defend a case shall be entitled to legal services under this Act.
The change in the rules will henceforth entitle several more people to avail legal services, which include payment of court fees, preparation of case papers, other aid in filing and arguing their cases before the Supreme Court along with the assistance of lawyers free of cost.
Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 has set up legal services institutions at all levels i.e. National, State, District and Taluk for providing legal services. Section 12 of the Act mandates free legal services to the eligible persons. Around 1.85 crore people have benefitted from legal services and advice since the Act came into force.
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