New Delhi [India]: Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju along with Minister of State for Law and Justice SP Baghel on Saturday launched the Citizen’s Tele-Law mobile app and felicitated the Tele-Law Frontline Functionaries organised by the Department of Justice. The event also witnessed the felicitation of 124 Frontline functionaries which includes Para legal volunteers, village level entrepreneurs, panel lawyers, and state coordinators representing from different corners of the country. According to the Department of Justice (DoJ), expanding its reach and ambit the Citizens’ Tele-Law Mobile App intends to widen the access to increased legal information and empower the masses to identify their problem and choose from the appropriate forum of dispute redressal to claim their entitlements and rights by connecting the beneficiary directly to the Panel Lawyer or with the assistance of Para Legal Volunteers, Village Level entrepreneurs, in case of a beneficiary who are unable to read or write. The consultation is available free of cost to those entitled to free legal aid under Section 12 of Legal Service Authority, whereas others could avail at Rs 30/ per consultation, stated DoJ. During the occasion, Rijiju announced the expansion of Tele-Law in 75,000 Gram Panchayats covering all States/UTs as a part of the 75 years of India’s Independence celebrations. He also appealed to the Lawyers to join the Tele-Law movement and provide legal guidance and consultation as basic steps to legal aid services. He appreciated the team effort of all frontline functionaries that have enabled Sabka Prayas, Sabko Nyaya to facilitate the last-mile delivery of justice. MoS, SP Baghel also highlighted that the Citizens’ Tele-Law Mobile App would be a first of its kind wherein as part of our constitutional mandate for providing equal opportunities before the law, every citizen would now be entitled to have access to lawyer on a touch of a finger. He also emphazised that the features of the Mobile App would be available in form of e-tutorial in all scheduled languages and urged the frontline functionaries to ensure its maximum outreach. Earlier as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations on 12th March 2021, Department of Justice has issued a second edition of e-booklet on Voices of Beneficiaries of Tele-Law which narrates the chronicles of the real time benefits availed by the beneficiaries under different heads viz family matters, fighting injustice, empowering with information, overcoming procedural hurdles, relief for Covid distressed and resolution of property disputes. In addition, on 6th July 2021, the Department of Justice organized its first hybrid Tele-Law event wherein Special Postal Cover to mark 9 lakh+ milestone of beneficiaries was released in collaboration with the Department of Posts.
