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Kerala State Legal Services Authority

Article 39A of the Constitution of India, embodies that:

The State shall secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice, on a basis of equal opportunity, and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.

Earlier there was no statutory body for implementation of this policy of providing legal aid to the needy. This duty was mainly performed by non-governmental and voluntary organizations apart from the Kerala State Legal Aid and Advice Board, a body constituted by the Government by executive orders. The Parliament enacted the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, creating statutory bodies for the purpose of providing legal aid service to weaker sections of the society, as per which a National Legal Services Authority was constituted as an apex body under whom various State Legal Services Authorities were to function.

Kerala State Legal Services Authority is the authority to provide free and competent legal service to the weaker sections of the society and to ensure that the opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities and to organise Lok Adalats to secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on a basis of equal opportunity.

The Kerala State Legal Services Authority was constituted by the Government of Kerala as per Notification No.3115/H1/98/Law dated, 25.4.98 published as SRO No.35/98 in the Kerala Gazette Extraordinary No.646 dated, 25th April, 1998. The Chief Justice of High Court of Kerala is the Patron-in-Chief of the Authority

The Head Quarters of the Authority is at Ernakulam.

The main functions of the Authority are :-

(a)	To give effect to the policy and directions of the Central Authority;
(b)	To give legal service to persons who satisfy the criteria laid down under the Act ;
(c)	To conduct Lok Adalats, including Lok Adalats for High Court cases;
(d)	To undertake preventive and strategic legal aid programmes and;
(e)	To perform such other functions as the State Authority may, in consultation with the Central Authority, fix by Regulations.

24 Hour Legal Helpline: 9846 700 100

Contact KELSA at

Member Secretary,
Office of the Kerala State Legal Services Authority,
Niyama Sahaya Bhavan,
High Court Compound
Ernakulam, Kochi,
Kerala State
Pin Code: 682 031
Phone:-(Off): 0484-2396717
Fax: 0484-2396717
E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website:- www.kelsa.nic.in

Website of National Legal Services Authority http://nalsa.gov.in/