Over 3.5k prisoners seek aid from SC legal services panel

Over 3,500 prisoners across India have sought legal assistance from the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee which is the process of offering its services, a press release said.

By May 5, around 3,800 inmates formally requested to receive legal assistance from the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), it added.

''Launched on January 10, 2025, in association with all state legal services authorities (SLSAs) and prison departments, the campaign aims to ensure access to justice for the inmates who remain unrepresented despite having viable legal remedies,'' the SCLSC said.

The campaign aimed to help the ''legally vulnerable'' inmates, particularly those requiring urgent legal intervention aside from prisoners who haven't filed appeals against conviction and those who failed to secure bail despite serving more than half of their maximum punishment.

The exercise would also aid those whose plea for remission or premature release was rejected and they failed to challenge it in the apex court.

''As a result of extensive coordination between the SCLSC, SLSAs, High Court Legal Services Committee (HCLSC) and prison authorities, 4,216 such inmates were initially identified, and on April 1, Justice Surya Kant convened a national-level virtual meeting with the chairpersons of HCLSCs and SLSAs, urging them to constitute special committees to visit prisons and actively encourage identified inmates to avail legal aid under the campaign,'' the release said.

According to the release, a follow-up review was held by Justice Kant, the chairman of the SCLSC, on May 5, when the need to expedite submissions of some pending documents was reiterated, and high court legal services committees were directed to designate district-level nodal officers to coordinate with the SCLSC for curing defects, seeking clarifications, and facilitating timely follow-up.

''While a small number of inmates declined legal aid, citing reasons such as impending release, engagement of private counsel, or expectations of remission on Independence Day or Republic Day, the overwhelming response reflects the campaign's success,'' the release said.

The panel advocates were stated to have been appointed in around 600 matters in which the documentation was completed, and 285 matters were filed till May 13.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)