NALSA launches web app to monitor legal service to prisoners

A web application was today launched for providing free legal services to prisoners so as to ensure that no inmate goes unrepresented in court.
An initiative of National Legal Services Authority, the application was launched by Supreme Court judge and NALSA Executive Chairman Justice Dipak Misra at the Indian Law Institute here.
A press statement issued by NALSA said, "The application shall make the legal services system more transparent, will be universally useful for all the relevant authorities to monitor the grant of legal aid to the prisoners in order to ensure that absolutely no prisoner goes unrepresented right from the first day of his production in the court."

It said that through the web application, the State Legal Services Authorities and District Legal Services Authorities shall feed data of each individual prisoner within their jurisdiction, with regard to their being represented through a counsel in the court.
The software will be able to generate reports showing total number of inmates, number of inmates unrepresented, number of inmates represented by legal services lawyers and number of inmates represented by private lawyers, it said.
"All the information can be generated state-wise, district-wise and also in respect of each jail," NALSA said.