NMS

The scheme aims to facilitate the expeditious disposal of ten to fifteen years old pending court cases. It provides legal advice, case assistance, and Lok Adalat referrals to marginalized litigants by engaging retired officers.

The scheme "Nyaya Mitra Scheme" was launched by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, in April 2017, and the scheme aims to facilitate the expeditious disposal of ten to fifteen-year-old pending cases in High Courts and Subordinate Courts. The scheme provides assistance to litigants suffering due to delayed trials by actively identifying cases, offering legal advice, and referring marginalized applicants to Lok Adalats for priority resolution. The applicant must be a retired judicial or executive officer with legal experience who acts as a Nyaya Mitra to support affected individuals. The scheme is implemented by the Department of Justice, and the applications for this scheme are accepted and managed at District Facilitation Centres housed within Common Service Centers.

##### For Nyaya Mitras

• The applicant must be a retired judicial officer or a retired executive officer.
• The applicant must possess legal experience or an educational background in law.

##### For Beneficiaries (Litigants)

• The applicant must be a litigant whose case has been languishing in the subordinate courts for more than ten years.
• The applicant must be an individual for whom quality legal aid is not available due to social and economic barriers.
• The applicant must be suffering due to a delay in investigations or trial.

• Expeditious disposal of ten to fifteen-year-old pending cases in High Courts and Subordinate Courts, including matrimonial cases, accident claims, and criminal cases.
• Active identification of delayed cases through the National Judicial Data Grid.
• Provision of legal advice and connection of litigants to the District Legal Services Authority, Common Service Centers Tele Law, other government agencies, and civil society organisations.
• Referral of marginalized applicants to Lok Adalats for prioritized dispute resolution.
• Assistance towards prison reforms within the district in coordination with the district judiciary and other stakeholders.
• Critical analysis of pending cases to assist Registrar Generals and district judges in understanding bottlenecks and finding solutions.
• Coordination with state and district authorities to enable witnesses to arrive on time or within a stipulated time frame for the early disposal of cases.
• Execution of follow-up actions such as issuing notices, summons, stays, injunctions, and letters to lower courts for summoning records pursuant to court orders.