Protect LADCS from abrupt disruption, sign now!
LADCS (Legal Aid Defense Counsel System) is a national-level scheme being implemented by NALSA, India, wherein every district has an office of the LADCS established under DLSA. Each LADCS office usually has 10 LADCs (Chief, Deputy Chief and Assistant LADCs) and 7 support staff, chambers, computers, printers, internet, and all other office stationery. LADCs are lawyers contractually engaged on the basis of experience and merit, paid monthly remuneration. They provide competent defence services to eligible persons facing criminal charges in every stage of the case from bail, remand, trial, etc. LADCs are dedicated to LADCS who get the cases from DLSA and cannot accept any case of their own. The services of LADCS are completely free; no amount of money can be charged for clerkage or expenses; everything is borne by the DLSA.
This LADCS Scheme is being reviewed by a committee constituted by NALSA to improve and strengthen the implementation of the Scheme identifying operational loopholes.
Suddenly, NALSA had directed not to renew the contracts of LADCs on completion of existing tenures, pending review of the scheme.
When the review exercise is in progress, in the meantime, maintaining status quo was the normal course of action while the review process can be expedited. For uninterrupted services of competent and free legal representation, the scheme should not have been disrupted abruptly. Moreover, NALSA has taken the decision without any meeting of its body. The functions of NALSA, a statutory authority consisting of 14/15 members, in important matters, cannot and should not be decided by 1-3 persons. Such autocratic functioning of NALSA is not tenable in a democratic country like ours, where rule of law prevails.
We call upon the Union of India and NALSA to reconsider the decision of non-renewal of contracts of LADC lawyers and maintain delivery of uninterrupted services through LADCS until any final decision is duly taken after receipt of the review committee report.
If you agree with us, please read and sign this petition.