District Legal Empowerment Committee (DLEC)
In July 2011, the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) by statutory notification S.R.O 684 (I)/2011 by Ordinance (XIV of 1979) has established The District Legal Empowerment Committees (DLECs). These Committees were constituted to administer and manage funds for the purpose of provision of legal aid to the deserving litigants. The members of DLECs are comprise of Deputy Commissioner/District Coordination Officer, the District Jail Superintendent, President of the District Bar Association, a civil society representative, and the District & Sessions Judge (who also chair the Committee). The DLEC is mandated to take up applications from deserving litigants to provide free legal assistance. Deserving litigants have been defined as are those who are otherwise unable to obtain legal aid or assistance for protecting their genuine legal rights or interests on account of their limited financial resources. As per DLEC Rules, the Committee hold its meeting at least once in a month to consider applications of the deserving litigants for grant of legal aid for pursing their cases in the Courts, however, it may hold special meetings in view of any such application warranting urgent disposal.
Application Submission and Processing Procedure:
Deserving litigants may apply directly to the District & Session Judge (Chairperson of the DLEC Committee) on plain paper along with NIC copy or any other document of identity. One of the DLEC members may be assigned to act as a Secretary to the Committee. The Superintendent District Jail may also forward applications of the under trial or convicted prisoners, or any person confined in jail in relation to civil proceedings after necessary verification that the applicant is a deserving litigant. The Committee may also consider cases referred by any Court for provision of legal aid to the person whose case is pending before such Court.
District Legal Empowerment Committee Rules:
District Legal Empowermwent Committees (DLECs) national performance report for the period 2012 till June 2016:
Status of the District Legal Empowerment Committees (DLEC) as on 31 December 2020:
Update in District Legal Empowerment Committees (DLEC) Rules 2021 (as on 12th October, 2023)
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