Question : Appointment of Government Counsel for Legal Assistance

(a) the procedure laid down by the Government for appointing Government counsel for providing legal assistance to the people;

(b) the number of Government counsels in the country at present;

(c) whether the posts of Government counsels are vacant or there is a need to appoint more Government counsels and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government propose to set up a centre to solve cases with mutual consent along with providing free of cost legal assistance in every district or tehsil for dispensation of justice to all; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) The National Legal Services Authority (Free and Competent Legal Services) Regulations, 2010 provides for criteria and procedure for empanelment of panel lawyers for providing legal assistance to the eligible sections of the population. The selection of panel lawyers is made by the Executive Chairman or Chairman of the Legal Services Institution in consultation with the Attorney General [for the Supreme Court], Advocate General [for the High Court], District Attorney or Government Pleader [for District and Taluka level] and the Monitoring and Mentoring Committee of the Institution.
(b) A total number of 61,295 lawyers have been empanelled in legal services institutions at state & district level across the country for providing legal assistance to the people who are eligible to receive such assistance.
(c) The panel lawyers are empanelled by the Legal Services Institutions as per the work load. As of now, the required number of panel lawyers are available with the Legal Services Institutions.
(d)&(e)Legal Services Institutions have set up Mediation Centre for mutual settlement of disputes (pending as well as at pre-litigation stage). Mediation has emerged as a popular and useful method for settlement of disputes. As on 30.06.2019, more than 500 Mediation Centres have been set up throughout the country. During the year 2018-19, more than 98 thousand cases have been settled through mediation amicably.