With the strong belief that "law is a Nobel profession and an Advocate’s main goal shall be giving back to the society", Anushkaa Arora with utmost honesty and devotion, carry forwards this principle and faith by re launching Firm’s Legal Aid Clinic.
This clinic is re launched by joining hands with the Deputy Secretary Drama at Sangeet Natak Academy, Mr. Suman Kumar, Director of Kathak Kendra along with Ms Pratibha Singh (Secretary at Kala Mandi, Delhi) and Mr Bose, Director of Dhruv Bose Foundation on this auspicious day of her cherished friend Mr Dhruv Bose.
This clinic shall target multiple purposes, but strongly focuses on extending legal advice to Kinnars, LGBTQ community.
Under the strong leadership of Ms. Anushkaa Arora, who has been serving the society for more than a decade, her vision and efforts put together in this relaunch of ABA Law Office Legal Aid Clinic.
Ms. Anushkaa Arora is the Jail Visiting Counsel who represents convicts at the Delhi High Court based on the recommendations of the interview board constituted for selecting Advocates for empanelment to Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee to name a few.
Anushkaa Arora has been working for the welfare of young lawyers, law students and extends her guidance/assistance besides giving them the opportunities through training etc. Anushkaa Arora has assumed numerous leadership roles right from her undergrad days where she remained active as the President of Hostel Council , university/hostel unions, elected class representative. She has been the Vice Chair for the Young Lawyers Division and has represented various boards as advisories as mentioned below. In all these elected head roles, Anushkaa Arora has made it a point to work for the betterment of society, uplifting marginalized, working for the needs of law students courageously yielding results.
Contributing towards betterment of the society and reaching out to the underprivileged has been a guiding principle of her professional and personal life. Anushkaa Arora took up research on transgender in India for which she was invited to present paper at Ghent University, Belgium. Anushkaa Arora extends a helping hand to the needy by pro bono activities. She wrote a research paper over issues of transgenders which have been published and recognized Internationally & Nationally Her views upon challenges faced by transgenders and possible mitigation steps were considered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Anushkaa Arora was also called upon by University of Ghent to present her views over the issues faced by transgenders in India and the same were highly appreciated.
The said legal aid clinic functions virtually and also physically at ABA Law Office Clinic on every Friday between 06:00-07:00 PM.
Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 prescribes the criteria for giving legal services to the eligible persons. Section 12 of the Act reads as under:-
Every person who has to file or defend a case shall be entitled to legal services under this Act if that person is –
(a) A member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe;
(b) A victim of trafficking in human beings or begar as referred to in Article 23 of the Constitution;
(c) A woman or a child;
(d) A mentally ill or otherwise disabled person;
(e) A person under circumstances of undeserved want such as being a victim of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster; or
(f) An industrial workman; or
(g) In custody, including custody in a protective home within the meaning of clause (g) of Section 2 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956(104 of 1956); or in a juvenile home within the meaning of clause(j) of Section 2 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986 (53 of 1986); or in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home within the meaning of clause (g) of Section 2 of the Mental Health Act, 1987(14 of 1987);or
(h) a person in receipt of annual income less than the amount mentioned in the following schedule (or any other higher amount as may be prescribed by the State Government), if the case is before a Court other than the Supreme Court, and less than Rs 5 Lakh, if the case is before the Supreme Court.
- Along with LGBTQ: lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenders who fall in the above category + income bracket as mentioned below.
- The Income Ceiling Limit prescribed u/S 12(h) of the Act for availing free legal services in different States has been stated below:
| S.No | State/ Union Territories | Income Celling Limit(Per Annum) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 3 | Assam | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 4 | Bihar | Rs. 1,50,000 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Rs. 1,50,000 |
| 6 | Goa | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 7 | Gujarat | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 8 | Haryana | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 10 | Jammu & Kashmir | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 11 | Jharkhand | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 12 | Karnataka | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 13 | Kerala | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 14 | Madhya Pradesh | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 15 | Maharashtra | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 16 | Manipur | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 17 | Meghalaya | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 18 | Mizoram | Rs. 25,000 |
| 19 | Nagaland | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 20 | Odisha | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 21 | Punjab | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 22 | Rajasthan | Rs. 1,50,000 |
| 23 | Sikkim | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 24 | Tamil Nadu | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 25 | Telangana | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 26 | Tripura | Rs. 1,50,000 |
| 27 | Uttar Pradesh | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 28 | Uttarakhand | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 29 | West Bengal | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 30 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 31 | Chandigarh UT | Rs. 3,00,000 |
| 32 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli UT | Rs. 15,000 |
| 33 | Daman & Diu | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| 34 | Delhi |
General - Rs. 1,00,000
Senior citizen - Rs. 2,00,000 Transgender - Rs. 2,00,000 |
| 35 | Lakshadweep | Rs. 9,000 |
| 36 | Puducherry | Rs. 1,00,000 |
Legal Services includes providing Free Legal Aid to those weaker sections of the society who fall within the purview of Section 12 of the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987.
Free legal aid is the provision of free legal services in civil and criminal matters for those poor and marginalized people who cannot afford the services of a lawyer for the conduct of a case or a legal proceeding in any Court, Tribunal or Authority.
Provision of free legal aid may include:
Yes.
Yes, a woman is entitled for free legal aid irrespective of her income or financial status. A woman is eligible to apply for free legal aid by virtue of Section 12(c) of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
A child is eligible for free legal aid till the age of majority i.e. 18 years. This is effectuated by Section 12 (c) of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
Senior citizens’ eligibility for free legal aid depends on the Rules framed by the respective State Governments in this regard.
In Delhi for example, senior citizens are eligible for free legal aid subject to prescribed ceiling of annual income. Any individual above the age of 60 can apply for free legal aid/services.
Yes, you are eligible for free legal aid if you fulfil the criteria under Section 12 (h) of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. It states that those persons who have annual income of less than the amount prescribed by the respective State Government, if the case is before any court other than the Supreme Court, and less than Rs. 5 Lakhs, if the case is before the Supreme Court, are eligible for free legal aid. The income ceiling limit as prescribed by different States/Union Territories has been stated in the table.
As per Section 13(2) of the Act, an affidavit made by a person as to his income is generally regarded as sufficient for making him/her eligible for the entitlement of legal services under the Act, unless the concerned Authority has reasons to question or disbelief such affidavit.
No. No fees is to be paid. Only administrative expenses such as court fees, affidavit attestation charge, travel, photocopy, zerox etc are payable as per actual, if available.
Yes. It is physical also.
Please send us an email at [email protected] stating your category and short query. We shall send you a link to VC consultation along with date and time slot for consultation, if approved.
A. You will have to apply through email [email protected], stating your category and short query with request to consult through physical visit. Please note only by appointment we shall entertain consultation. No valid appointment, no consultation.
B. Please note you will send us documents or bring the same upon physical visit for initial verification, in regards to eligibility.
C. An affidavit duly attested/notraised, declaring income as per above table shall be given to us prior consultation; efforts to made to send these documents initially.
Only when all documents have been received, our board shall scrutinize the application, and approve or disapprove the same. If approved, you shall received appointment either through VC or physical meeting.
No.
ABA Law Office reserves full rights to withhold services, if you are found with fraudulent documents, or at any stage it is proved that you were never entitled to legal aid services, or misrepresented the same before us. Strict Action maybe taken for such misrepresentation.