NALSA to hold legal aid seminar

The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) will hold a seminar on legal aid and marginal communities in Hyderabad on Saturday.
NALSA will hold the event in coordination with the Andhra Pradesh State Legal Services Authority and the State and District Legal Services Authority of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, with the Centre for Advocacy and Research providing technical support, a statement said today.
Titled 'Legal Aid and Education for Marginal Communities and those Most-at-Risk of HIV,' the consultation will proceed with an objective to strengthen legal aid at the state, district and taluk level for vulnerable communities such as sex workers, injecting drug users and sexual minorities, it said.

It will also showcase legal aid by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to marginal communities, alongside honouring the best practices to strengthen the community's access to the schemes.
Over 75 community-based organisations, 22 civil society organisations, project directors of state AIDS control societies and leading academicians and government are expected to participate.
The seminar will also bring together executive and district chairpersons and member secretaries from all five states and District Legal Services Authorities, the release stated.
Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta will honour best practices that are implemented in districts across the five states.
As the apex body, NALSA, lays down the policies and principles for providing legal services and brings uniformity to legal aid programmes throughout the country. It also disburses funds and grants to the State Legal Services Authorities and NGOs for implementing legal awareness and legal aid.