Justice Kant-led NALSA launches free legal aid scheme for soldiers, veterans
Srinagar, July 27 -- In a significant move to deepen institutional outreach and bolster access to justice for the nation's armed forces, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), led by senior Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant, on Saturday launched the Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana 2025 -- a first-of-its-kind nationwide scheme aimed at providing free legal assistance to soldiers, veterans and their families.
Unveiling the scheme in Srinagar, Justice Kant, also the executive chairman of NALSA, said the initiative marks the judiciary's solemn commitment to those who defend the country's borders under the harshest of conditions.
Speaking to HT, Justice Kant, who is in line to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India in November this year, called the scheme "a fulfilment of a constitutional duty" and a step towards building "close proximity between the judiciary and the uniformed forces".
"This scheme has been launched with the unique object of providing legal aid, advice and assistance to the families of army and paramilitary personnel. Because of the unique nature of their responsibilities and their remote postings, they cannot spare themselves to come and fight litigation," Justice Kant said.
He added that the scheme would not only expedite access to legal redressal for the armed forces but also foster "a sense of responsibility, attachment and deep respect within the judicial space" for their service.
"When they do so much, what are we doing for them?" asked the judge, adding that the idea behind the initiative took shape after the judiciary's response to the Pahalgam attack earlier this year, followed by Operation Sindoor -- Indian armed forces' coordinated counterterror response to the Pahalgam attack. It led to the Supreme Court's unprecedented public expression of condolences and solidarity with the armed forces. Reflecting on this, Justice Kant said: "It is not just an emotional response, but a constitutional and institutional understanding -- when they are doing so much for the nation, what are we doing for them?"...
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