Special Courts for Offence against Women and Children

Delhi, July 29 – Government started a Centrally Sponsored Scheme since October2019 for setting up of 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for expeditious trial and disposal of cases related to rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The Scheme is to be implemented in 31 States/UTs. As on 30.06.2022, a total of 728 FTSCs including 408 exclusive POCSO Courts are made operational in 28 States/UTs.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) and National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) have been collectively implementing different programs to create legal awareness about legal assistance for women and children. DoJ through its Designing Innovative Solutions and Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA) Scheme, is implementing Pan India Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme (LLLAP) for disadvantaged sections including women and children. Further, NALSA has formulated 10 Schemes under Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, for making legal services available under the provisions of the Act to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities. The State Legal Services Authorities have been organizing legal awareness programmes to make people aware about the availability of free legal services to the entitled persons.  The Legal Services Authorities are also conducting programmes for making people aware about their rights and entitlements under various laws and Government schemes. The details of the legal literacy/ awareness programmes organized during the last financial year and the current financial year are as under;