Notwithstanding that there are 12, 000 backlog cases lying pending with the district and subordinate courts in the state in which the Legal Aid will act as a mechanism to speed up disposal of the pending cases comparing backlog cases in the whole country is 1600.
Addressing a conference in Shillong on Friday, W Diengdoh, Member Secretary of the MSLSA said that their target is to disperse all the pending cases by way of making people aware of the existence of the schemes making them realize their rights and to give them the adequate justice they deserve.
He also said that the Legal Services Authorities after examining criteria of an applicant and the existence of a prima facie case in his favour provides him counsel at state expense, pay required court fee in the matter and bear all incidental expenses in connection with the case.
The Authority in order to reduce the backlog of cases has also set up a Forum of Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC) started on January 30, 2009.
The committee will include a panel of twelve persons including advocates and retired judicial officers of the state in which they are entrusted to concise cases related to disputes between parties litigating through settlement.
Any party having a legal dispute can visit the mediation clinic at the office of the MSLSA behind Additional Secretariat in Shillong where the mediators will look and examine into their matters and suitable suggestions and actions would be taken, informed Diengdoh.
Diengdoh also said that the State Legal Services besides, introducing the schemes also conducts legal literacy awareness programmes and Lok Adalat or People’s court in all parts of the states as part of its continuing programme of fulfilling its motto that access to ‘justice for all’.
Meanwhile, 260 cases were being settled through 10 Lok Adalats conducted by the MSLSA, which was held in almost all the districts of the state. A total number of 197 beneficiaries were benefited from the legal aid scheme during the year 2007 till date.