Government strengthens accessible legal services and inclusive digital justice for persons with disabilities
Government action expands free legal aid for persons with disabilities and adds accessibility-focused digital justice features under eCourts Phase III.
- Section 12(d) gives persons with disability a right to free legal aid to support access to courts.
- NALSA (Legal Services to Persons with Mental Illness and Persons with Intellectual Disabilities) Scheme, 2024 targets legal services based on the specific needs of mental illness and intellectual disabilities.
- Manonyay LSUMs deliver legal services at mental health establishments, police stations, courts, railway stations, bus stands, and other listed institutions, plus through home visits.
- Court infrastructure under the scheme must use disabled-friendly design and follow accessibility norms set by Central Public Works Department and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
What happened: Government expands disability-responsive legal aid and accessible e-justice
The Ministry of Law and Justice reports measures to strengthen accessible legal services for persons with disabilities and to improve inclusive access in courts through accessible ICT. The Government links legal aid entitlements under the Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987 with NALSA’s NALSA (Legal Services to Persons with Mental Illness and Persons with Intellectual Disabilities) Scheme, 2024, and it reports accessibility-focused ICT provisions under eCourts Project Phase III, including support through the S3WaaS platform.
Background and earlier position: Free legal aid entitlement under the LSA Act; disability-specific legal service delivery
UPSC can frame the issue as “access to justice” made concrete through two levers: disability-linked free legal aid under the <strong>Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987</strong> and disability-responsive delivery through NALSA’s Scheme 2024, supported by accessibility-oriented components and the <strong>S3WaaS</strong> platform within <strong>eCourts Phase III</strong>.
