Contracts of LADCS counsel will not be renewed further: NALSA after Punjab lawyers’ strike

The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) Tuesday announced that contracts of lawyers appointed under the Legal Aid Defence Counsel System (LADCS) Scheme will not be renewed after September in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh..Further, it was announced that contracts of Legal Aid Defence Counsel in others States and Union Territories shall not be renewed upon completion of their existing contractual tenure."The District Judges of the concerned districts shall assign legal aid matters to the members of the Bar, preferably young lawyers," NALSA said in a communication to the State Legal Services Authorities.Lawyers, particularly in Punjab, had been on strike for nearly a month against LADCS, alleging that the scheme created a parallel State-funded criminal defence system which was affecting the practice of independent advocates.The decision to not renew contracts of LADCS counsel any further comes a day after the Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana, along with leaders of various Bar associations from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh met Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Vikram Nath, the executive chairperson of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).CJI is reported to have assured the lawyers that a fresh scheme would be formulated after due consultation."It was further announced that the allocation of legal aid cases would thereafter be made by the District & Sessions Judges to members of the Bar in consultation with the Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana and the concerned Bar Associations, until a new framework is put in place," the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana said on Monday..The strike was initially resorted to by lawyers in district courts.Pertinently, Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association also joined the striking lawyers later and suspended work at the High Court. Lawyers also staged protests at the High Court to express solidarity with the trial court lawyers. The strike was eventually called off on July 31 after various meetings were held between the bar bodies and High Court judges.Eventually, the High Court last month issued a circular to address some of the grievances highlighted by the protesting lawyers.With the process for fresh appointments of counsel under the LADCS put now on hold, courts in the region have resumed normal functioning.