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[3. Constitution of the National Legal Services Authority.—(1) The Central Government shall
constitute a body to be called the National Legal Services Authority to exercise the powers and perform
the functions conferred on, or assigned to, the Central Authority under this Act.
(2) The Central Authority shall consist of—
(a) theChief Justice of India who shall be the Patron-in-Chief;
(b) a serving or retired Judge of the Supreme Court to be nominated by the President, in
consultation with the Chief Justice of India, who shall be the Executive Chairman; and
(c) such number of other members, possessing such experience and qualifications, as may be
prescribed by the Central Government, to be nominated by that Government in consultation with the
Chief Justice of India.
(3) The Central Government shall, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, appoint a person to
be the Member-Secretary of the Central Authority, possessing such experience and qualifications as may
be prescribed by that Government, to exercise such powers and perform such duties under the Executive
Chairman of the Central Authority as may be prescribed by that Government or as may be assigned to
him by the Executive Chairman of that Authority.
(4) The terms of office and other conditions relating thereto, of members and the Member-Secretary
of the Central Authority shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government in consultation
with the Chief Justice of India.
(5) The Central Authority may appoint such number of officers and other employees as may be
prescribed by the Central Government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, for the efficient
discharge of its functions under this Act.
(6) The officers and other employees of the Central Authority shall be entitled to such salary and
allowances and shall be subject to such other conditions of service as may be prescribed by the Central
Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
(7) The administrative expenses of the Central Authority, including the salaries, allowances and
pensions payable to the Member-Secretary, officers and other employees of the Central Authority, shall
be defrayed out of the Consolidated Fund of India.
(8) All orders and decisions of the Central Authority shall be authenticated by the Member-Secretary
or any other officer of the Central Authority duly authorised by the Executive Chairman of that Authority.
(9) No act or proceeding of the Central Authority shall be invalid merely on the ground of the
existence of any vacancy in, or any defect in the constitution of, the Central Authority.
3A. Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.—(1) The Central Authority shall constitute a
committee to be called the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee for the purpose of exercising such
1. Ins. by Act 59 of 1994, s. 2 (w.e.f. 29-10-1994).
2. Subs. by s. 3, ibid., for section 3 (w.e.f. 29-10-1994).
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powers and performing such functions as may be determined by regulations made by the Central
Authority.
(2) The Committee shall consist of—
(a) a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court who shall be the Chairman; and
(b) such number of other members possessing such experience and qualifications as may be
prescribed by the Central Government,
to be nominated by the Chief Justice of India.
(3) The Chief Justice of India shall appoint a person to be the Secretary to the Committee, possessing
such experience and qualifications as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
(4) The terms of office and other conditions relating thereto, of the members and Secretary of the
Committee shall be such as may be determined by regulations made by the Central Authority.
(5) The Committee may appoint such number of officers and other employees as may be prescribed
by the Central Government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, for the efficient discharge of
its functions.
(6) The officers and other employees of the Committee shall be entitled to such salary and allowances
and shall be subject to such other conditions of service as may be prescribed by the Central Government
in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.]
4. Functions of the Central Authority.—The Central Authority shall 1
*** perform all or any of the
following functions, namely:—
(a) lay down policies and principles for making legal services available under the provisions of
this Act;
(b) frame the most effective and economical schemes for the purpose of making legal services
available under the provisions of this Act;
(c) utilise the funds at its disposal and make appropriate allocations of funds to the State
Authorities and District Authorities;
(d) take necessary steps by way of social justice litigation with regard to consumer protection,
environmental protection or any other matter of special concern to the weaker sections of the society
and for this purpose, give training to social workers in legal skills;
(e) organise legal aid camps, especially in rural areas, slums or labour colonies with the dual
purpose of educating the weaker sections of the society as to their rights as well as encouraging the
settlement of disputes through LokAdalats;
(f) encourage the settlement of disputes by way of negotiations, arbitration and conciliation;
(g) undertake and promote research in the field of legal services with special reference to the need
for such services among the poor;
(h) to do all things necessary for the purpose of ensuring commitment to the fundamental duties
of citizens under Part IVA of the Constitution;
(i) monitor and evaluate implementation of the legal aid programmes at periodic intervals and
provide for independent evaluation of programmes and schemes implemented in whole or in part by
funds provided under this Act;
1. The words “, subject to the general directions of the Central Government,” omitted by Act of 59 of 1994, s. 4 (w.e.f. 29-10-
1994).
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[(j) provide grants-in-aid for specific schemes to various voluntary social service institutions and
the State and District Authorities, from out of the amounts placed at its disposal for the
implementation of the legal services schemes under the provisions of this Act;]
(k) develop, in consultation with the Bar Council of India, programmes for clinical legal
education and promote guidance and supervise the establishment and working of legal services clinics
in universities, law colleges and other institutions;
(l) take appropriate measures for spreading legal literacy and legal awareness amongst the people
and, in particular, to educate weaker sections of the society about the rights, benefits and
privileges guaranteed by social welfare legislations and other enactments as well as administrative
programmes and measures;
(m) make special efforts to enlist the support of voluntary social welfare institutions working at
the grass-root level, particularly among the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, women and
rural and urban labour; and
(n) coordinate and monitor the functioning of 2
[State Authorities, District Authorities, Supreme
Court Legal Services Committee, High Court Legal Services Committees, Taluk Legal Services
Committees and voluntary social service institutions] and other legal services organisations and give
general directions for the proper implementation of the legal services programmes.
5. Central Authority to work in coordination with other agencies.—In the discharge of its
functions under this Act, the Central Authority shall, wherever appropriate, act in coordination with other
governmental and non-governmental agencies, universities and others engaged in the work of promoting
the cause of legal services to the poor.