Nyaya Mitra

Over 3.03 crore (15% cases are more than 10 years old) cases are pending in different subordinate courts of India. To reduce this pendency, Nyaya Mitra scheme was proposed in 2017 to reduce pendency of cases across selected districts (227 districts in 16 states chosen), with special focus on those pending for more than 10 years.

• Here a retired judicial or executive officer with legal experience would be designated as Nyaya Mitra. They would be placed in District Facilitation Centres (DFCs), housed in Common Service Centres (CSCs).
• His responsibilities would include among others assistance to litigants who are suffering due to delay in investigations or trial, by actively identifying such cases through the National Judicial Data Grid, providing legal advice and connecting litigants to District Legal Service Authorities, CSC Tele Law, other government agencies and civil society organizations.
• He/she shall also refer the marginalized applicants to Lok Adalats for dispute resolution and render assistance towards prison reforms within the district, in coordination with the district judiciary and other stakeholders.

Challenges

There are more than 100 vacancies in various DFCs shows the level of enthusiasm in providing free & voluntary legal aid. Lack of skilled people in such initiatives is the only drawback of both Pro Bono Legal Aid (Nyaya Bandhu) and Nyaya Mitra.