March 07, 2026 : The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has constituted a committee to revisit the Legal Aid Defense Counsel System (LADCS) Scheme and Policy following representations received from advocates in the State of Punjab. The decision was taken by the Chief Justice of India and Patron-in-Chief of NALSA in consultation with the Executive Chairman of NALSA.

According to a press release issued by NALSA on March 6, 2026, the committee has been tasked with reviewing the existing framework of the LADCS Scheme and Policy and examining the concerns raised by members of the legal fraternity regarding its implementation.

The committee will be chaired by Justice P. Sam Koshy, Judge of the High Court of Telangana and Executive Chairman of the Telangana State Legal Services Authority. Justice A. K. Jayasankaran Nambiar, Judge of the High Court of Kerala and Executive Chairman of the Kerala State Legal Services Authority, will serve as a member of the panel.

Other members of the committee include Sanjiv Pandey, Member Secretary of NALSA, who will act as Member-Coordinator; Kumari Ranjana Asthana, Member Secretary of the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority; and Dr. Manu Kalia, Member Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh State Legal Services Authority.

The committee will review the functioning and policy framework of the LADCS Scheme, which aims to strengthen legal aid defense mechanisms for underprivileged and marginalized sections requiring legal representation in criminal cases.