Justice Venkatachaliah launches app to provide legal aid

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 13: Former Chief Justice of India M. N. Venkatachaliah on Saturday launched the multi-lingual India Legal App, legal helpline accessible to the citizens to obtain legal assistance from their homes.
“The app will help in disposing of around 70 per cent new cases,” he added.

Attorney General R. Venkataramani hailed the India Legal app, saying “Endeavours such as these will go a long way in understanding the needs of justice for different sections of the community.”

“It is important to reach out to the most deprived sections of the society and translate the access to justice for those who need it the most,” he added.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that it was a “momentous occasion for the judiciary and the people at large.” “The app will complement the Government’s vision for E-court, ensure justice for the masses and further prove to be a window for access to justice,” he added.

National Law University Delhi Vice Chancellor Prof (Dr) GS Bajpai said “Both India Legal and ILRF have done a stellar job in the legal field so far. This India Legal app was a much-needed initiative, which will contribute to a much larger discussion on the legal profession and technology,” he added.

“The shape of legal profession is going to change drastically with innovative technological developments, which will also free it from the physical computer. More such tools are needed for people seeking justice since around 40 percent of people are unable to enjoy the protection of law,” he added.

Former IIM Bangalore Dean Prof Trilochan Shastry, while showering praises on the India Legal team, especially its Managing Director Rajshri Rai for the novel initiative, said he was not very knowledgeable on legal issues, but would like to extend all possible help for the app.

He hailed the app for providing the services in six languages, saying that majority of people in India could not avail legal aid since they did not know English and also due to various other reasons.

Senior Advocate and Indian Legal Research Foundation Chairman, Pradeep Rai said, “The app is close to my heart. It will provide access to justice to many people, who were either underprivileged or do not know how to seek justice for themselves.”

“The Preamble of India mentioned securing social, economic and political justice for all of its citizens. This can be achieved by bringing equality before law. The App will surely help the young students, lawyers and even senior Advocates such as Justice Venkatachaliah,” added the Senior Advocate.

The Senior Advocate further mentioned a case taken up by the app. He said, “Around 10-15 people from Azamgarh, who had been declared dead on papers, were running from pillar to post to prove themselves alive. The app successfully took up this case and managed to get justice for them.”

“The aim of this app is to ensure that nobody is left behind in getting access to justice due to lack of resources or other reasons,” he added.

Editor-in-Chief of APN News and Managing Director of India Legal Rajshri Rai said language barrier was one of the reasons for limited access of the common man to justice. The multilingual app will provide access to justice to people in their own language. She said the inspiration behind the app was the common man, and his need for justice.

Editor-in-Chief of India Legal, Inderjit Badhwar, said that in 2016, the ILRF conducted its first conclave, which was chaired by President Draupadi Murmu and the entire Jharkhand High Court attended the event. Calling it a ‘rare’ app that translated into reality all in the quest for justice, Badhwar said the endeavour would go from strength to strength thus, benefitting the common man.

The India Legal App is a path-breaking legal helpline that allows every citizen of India to access high calibre legal help from the safety of her/his home at the touch of a button.

The app can be used in 6 Indian languages, including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and Punjabi.

Slowly, this facility will extend to even those without mobile phones. They can avail of this service through their nearest common service centres, or Jan Suvidha Kendra/Setu/e-Seva Kendra/Pragya Kendra.

India Legal Research Foundation (ILRF) is a Non-Profit Organisation, equipped with senior lawyers and devoted to bringing justice to those who deserve it, but cannot afford it. There are many ways in which India Legal Research Foundation (ILRF) is providing free legal aid to the deserving ones.