Question : PROJECT ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE

(a) The extent to which the project on Access to Justice for marginalised people undertaken in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the country has been successful;

(b) Whether the Phase-I of the said project has completed, and if so the details thereof;

(c) Whether there is any proposal under consideration to launch second phase of the said project in the country;

(d) If so, the details thereof along with the steps taken/ being taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) The time frame set for the implementation thereof?

MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI D.V. SADANANDA GOWDA)

(a) and (b) In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, is implementing a decade long programme on Access to Justice for Marginalised People (2008-2017). The project focuses on strengthening access to justice for the poor by developing strategies that address barriers to accessing justice in legal, social, economic and political domains. Phase I of the project focussed on seven States of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. The objectives of the project which include strengthening of Legal Services Authorities; increasing the capacity of Law Schools to assist marginalised communities to access justice; and increasing legal awareness of marginalised communities have largely been met. Some of the significant achievements of Phase I of the project, include: raising legal awareness of marginalised people; inclusion of legal literacy into the continuing adult literacy programme under the National Literacy Mission Scheme (Sakshar Bharat); training of over 7,000 paralegals; a first-ever study of legal aid clinics run by law schools and needs assessments of several State Legal Services Authorities. Phase I of the Project was completed in 2012.

(c) Yes. In 2013 the second phase of the Project commenced.

(d) and (e) The second Phase of the Project will cover the States as mentioned in (a) above as well as the State of Maharashtra. The broad objectives of this Phase of the project will include the strengthening and capacity building of judicial academies and Legal Services Authorities by training of panel lawyers and paralegal volunteers; lending support to Civil Society Organisations and networks that provide access to justice services to disadvantaged groups; mass legal awareness using ICT tools; ensuring greater access to rights and entitlements of all marginalised persons with a greater focus on women; and conducting action research and studies that will contribute to informing and reforming policies and institutional structures. The timeframe set for the implementation of said Project will extend for five years between 2013 and 2017.