About Tele-Law Programme:
- The Tele-Law programme comes under the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice and was launched in 2017.
- It is an e-interface mechanism to seek legal advice and consultation at a pre-litigation stage with the aim of ‘Reaching the Unreached’.
- The programme connects needy and marginalised people in need of legal aid with the Panel Lawyers via video conferencing/telephonic facilities available at Common Service Centres (CSCs) situated at the panchayat level. In addition, the service can also be accessed through the Tele-Law Mobile App.
- A Panel Lawyer is a practicing advocate selected by the Department of Justice and CSC-eGovernance Services or registered on the Panel of State /District Legal Services Authority.
- Eligibility: Legal advice is made available to everyone under Tele-Law service. Advice is free of Cost to those who are eligible for free legal aid under Section 12 of LSA Act, 1987.
- Women
- Children
- Persons belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
- Victims of Trafficking
- Mentally ill and differently-abled people
- Victims of natural disaster/ethnic violence
- Workers in unorganized sector/industrial workers
- Undertrials
- People of low-income group
- For all others, a nominal fee of Rs. 30/- is charged for each consultation.
- Kind of cases/matters: Legal matters in which advice can be taken through Tele-Law service include:
- Dowry, family dispute, divorce, protection from domestic violence
- Sexual harassment, sexual abuse, eve teasing at the workplace
- Maintenance of women children and senior citizens
- Rights regarding property and land
- Equal wages for males and females
- Maternity benefits and prevention of foeticide.
- Atrocities against scheduled castes/ scheduled tribes and their rehabilitation.
