Warrants, Notices Issued By Jharkhand Courts To Have Info About Legal Aid [Read Order]

The Jharkhand High Court has instructed that notices and warrants issued by courts must be tagged with pamphlets regarding legal services available to noticees and warrantees.

The innovative scheme would be helpful for poor people and also the ones unacquainted with various procedures of law. Instead of running from pillar to post for help, the noticee or the warrantee or their family members can avail of legal services from the very beginning.

In his order to all principal district and sessions judges of the state of Jharkhand, including Judicial Commissioner Ranchi, Acting Chief Justice DN Patel stated that women, children persons belonging to the SC/ST community, prisoners, differently-abled persons, industrial workmen, victims of trafficking, victims of undeserved want, person with income less than Rs. 1 lakh per annum are entitled to free legal services under Section 12 of the legal services authorities.

Similarly, persons with income up to Rs. 5 lakh per annum are entitled to legal services at the Jharkhand High Court level under the Jharkhand High Court Middle-Income Group Legal Aid Scheme.

All persons, irrespective of their income, are entitled to paid legal service in all Jharkhand courts, under the Paid Legal Service Schemes for Persons of Specified Categories 2017.

The Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority has issued pamphlets regarding the provisions of legal services available to various categories of beneficiaries.

The order stated the noticees and warrantees are required to be informed about the availability of legal services available to him or her or them under the aforementioned schemes. The benefits of mediations be also informed to them, it added.

The order stated pamphlets about the availability of legal services shall be tagged with all the notices and warrants issued by the courts, including the high court.