About Supreme Court Legal Services Committee:

• It was constituted under Section 3A of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• It was to provide “free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of society”, in cases falling under the top court’s jurisdiction.
  • Section 3A of the Act states that the Central Authority (the National Legal Services Authority or NALSA) shall constitute the committee.
• Composition:
  • It consists of a sitting SC judge, who is the chairman, along with other members possessing the experience and qualifications prescribed by the Centre.
  • Both the Chairman and other members will be nominated by the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Further, the CJI can appoint the Secretary to the Committee.
  • The Committee, in turn, can appoint officers and other employees as prescribed by the Centre, in consultation with the CJI.
  • Rule 10 of the NALSA Rules, 1995, entails the numbers, experience, and qualifications of the SCLSC members.
  • Under Section 27 of the 1987 Act, the Centre is empowered to make rules in consultation with the CJI, by notification, to carry out the provisions of the Act.

Key facts about Legal Service Authorities Act

• It was enacted to give a statutory base to legal aid programmes.
• It aims to provide free and competent legal services to eligible groups, including women, children, SC/ST and EWS categories, industrial workers, disabled persons, and others.
• NALSA: Under the Act, NALSA was constituted in 1995 to monitor and evaluate the implementation of legal aid programmes and to lay down policies for making legal services available.
• State Legal Services Authorities (SLSA) were established to implement NALSA’s policies and directions, give free legal services to people, and conduct Lok Adalats.
  • An SLSA is headed by the Chief Justice of the respective High Court and includes the senior HC judge as its Executive Chairman.
• District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) and Taluk Legal Services Committees were established in districts and most taluks. Situated in the District Courts Complex in every district, each DLSA is chaired by the District Judge of the respective district.
• The Taluka or Sub-Divisional Legal Services Committees are headed by a senior civil judge.