On coming into operation of the J&K Re-organization Act 2019, on 30.10.2019, the State of J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories called UT of J&K and UT of Ladakh. By virtue of the same legislation, J&K State Legal Services Authority Act 1997 was repealed and the Legal Services Authority Act 1987 (Central Act) came into force in the UT's of J&K and Ladakh. To achieve the objectives of the Constitution of India, the Administration of UT of Ladakh has Constituted Ladakh Legal Services Authority vide notification dated 24th of February 2021. The Legal Services Authority Act, 1987 provides for establishment of Legal Services Authority, High Court Legal Services Committee, District Legal Services Authorities and Tehsil Legal Services Committees to provide free and Competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society and to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities, and to organise Lok Adalats to ensure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunities.
1. Legal Service Authority
In terms of S.6 of Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh has constituted UT of Ladakh Legal Services Authority, with Hon'ble The Chief Justice as its Patron-in-Chief. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Atul Sreedharan, Judge, High Court of J&K is presently Executive Chairman of the UT of Ladakh Legal Services Authority, whereas, Mr Manoj Parihar is Member Secretary of the Authority. The Legal Services Authority besides being the Supervisory Authority over the District / Tehsil Legal Services Authorities/ Committees is obliged to lay down policies for making legal services available, make allocation of funds to other Authorities/ Committees, organise legal aid camps, encourage settlement of disputes by mediation and conciliation, conduct/organise Lok Adalats and related activities.
2. District Legal Service Authorities
Union Territory of Ladakh consists of two districts i.e., Leh and Kargil. District Legal Services Authorities constituted/created under Section 9 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 are functioning in both the districts. The District Authority has District Judge concerned as its Chairman.
3. Tehsil Legal Services Committees
There are 05 Tehsil Legal Services Committees functioning in the UT of Ladakh, that have been created & constituted by the Legal Services Authority in terms of S.11-A of the Act. Each Tehsil Committee comprises of the Sub Judge/Munsiff of the concerned Tehsil as its chairman.
DISTRICT Leh |
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| S.no | Name of the DLSA/TLSC | Chairperson | |
| 1. | DLSA Leh | Pr.Distt & Sessions Judge | |
| 2 | TLSC Nobra | Munsiff | |
| 3 | TLSC Khaltsi | Munsiff | |
DISTRICT Kargil |
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| S.no | Name of the DLSA/TLSC | Chairperson | |
| 1 | DLSA Kargil | Pr.Distt & Sessions Judge | |
| 2 | TLSC Drass | Munsiff | |
| 3 | TLSC Sankoo | Munsiff | |
| 4 | TLSC Zanskar | Munsiff | |
Legal literacy and Legal Awareness campaign especially in Backward and remote areas- Launching of programmes and setting up of camps
The important task before the legal service functionaries is to make the legal service law meaningful for those belonging to weaker and poor sections of the society, for whom same has been brought on the Statute Book. This can be done by educating the said sections of the society about various provisions of the LSA Act and the Rules and the Regulation framed thereunder. This underprivileged class of society has to be made to understand about the benefits of not only legal service law, but they also have to be educated about all the social welfare legislations including the laws on Human Rights, the Fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution and the provisions of the Right to Information Act etc. The down trodden and the backward class of the society is to be told as to how the settlement of the disputes through the ADR mechanism saves their time, money and energy, and how it not only maintains but improves the relations between the rival parties. It has to be made Known to them that negotiated settlement ends the enmity between the fighting parties for all times to come, there being no appeal, no revision whatsoever. Unlike in a litigation before a regular court where parties to the dispute end up with animosity, anger and bad blood between them, in a negotiated settlement, relations of the fighting parties get improved and all the terrifying memories of the litigation are forgotten for all the times to come. The parties part with the spirit of good will and mutual trust with promise to meet again. The class of the society who are weak, backward and downtrodden are not expected to know that constitution has guaranteed them some valuable rights which are fundamental in nature. Such of the rights as pertain to right to livelihood and right to live with dignity and honor etc. are very-very important for this class of society as we may call it. It is, therefore, very important to promote awareness among the masses about all these rights. It becomes imperative, therefore, as is ordained in the Legal Services Authorities Act and the Rules, to make the weaker sections of the society aware as to how shall they seek protection of their fundamental rights, and how are the Human Rights violation sought to be checked. To do this, we have to reach out to the door steps of the needy, to tell them all about this. Such class of the society needs awareness that in case they are not in a position to vindicate their right, given their economic conditions, they shall be provided legal services and legal assistance, which will be entirely free. These people have to be enlightened as to how access to justice for all is possible and practicable. It is in this back ground that more emphasis is on convening of legal literacy and legal awareness programmes where the common people have to be informed that legal services is not a charity, but is a way to provide justice for all. Emphases is on organising legal literacy and legal awareness camps in far-flung and remote areas of the UT of Ladakh, to inform the common masses that rich alone shall not have the right to enjoy the fruits of Justice but poor shall equally have the access to justice.
