Launched in April 2017, by the Hon’ble Minister for Law & Justice, to establish a framework for dispensation of pro bono legal services across the country, the Department’s Nyaya Bandhu programme connects practicing advocates interested in pro bono work with eligible marginalised and vulnerable beneficiaries, through an Android Mobile Application, after due scrutiny.

Detailed information about the programme is available at available at www.probno-doj.in

Beneficiaries or Applicants, in order to avail the benefits under this programme must belong to one of the categories mentioned under Section 12 of The Legal Services Authority Act of 1987. These include:

• a. Member of a Scheduled Caste
• b. Member of a Scheduled Tribe;
• c. Victim of trafficking in human beings or begar as referred in article 23 of the Constitution;
• d. Woman or a Child;
• e. Person with disability;
• f. Person in custody;
• g. An industrial workman;
• h. Victim of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster;
• i. Person with annual income less than as specified under law;
• j. Other.

Any advocate interested in becoming a part of this initiative must have a valid practicing licence from a State Bar Council.

In order to prove their eligibility for availing services under the programme, beneficiaries are required to present one of the following documents, as per the eligibility category selected by them

Please note that the Applicant is not required to submit any case related documentation at the time of registration of case under the programme.

Advocates must submit their valid Enrolment Numbers and Certificates issued by their respective State Bar Council and/or the Bar Council of India at the time of registration under the programme.

A case registered by an applicant is assigned to an advocate based on matching of two parameters

• a. Area of practice/Category of Case – Civil or Criminal
• b. Court of Practice/Court where case is pending – Name of Court

This matching is done automatically through sifting of database of advocates stored under the programme.

Pro Bono Legal Services are, by nature, free of cost. A Pro Bono Advocate registered under the DoJ programme shall not charge any fees towards legal advice or representation rendered to the registered applicant.

However, based on mutual understanding between the applicant and the advocate, the applicant may be required to incur incidental expenses like photocopying, posting and typing charges.

No, DoJ issues no identification card or certificate to advocates on registration under the programme.

The Nyaya Bandhu Mobile App can be downloaded on any Android Phone from Google Play Store or through a link available at www.probno-doj.in (free of cost)

The services under this programme shall be launched in an iOS and web compatible mode, shortly.

Once an advocate and applicant are connected under the programme, they may conduct regular in-person meetings to discuss any case related details, as desired by both parties. They are not required to share any case related documents with DoJ.

However, the advocate is required to update two details on the Nyaya Bandhu portals namely - ‘Next Date of Hearing’ and ‘Stage of Case’ for the information of the department.