India's NALSA and SCLSC Get New Leaders: Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari

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President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath as the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). This move comes with the nomination of Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari as the new chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. According to protocol, the executive chairman of NALSA is typically the senior-most judge after the CJI, while the chairman of SCLSC is the second senior-most judge. Both appointments will take effect from Monday. As the new executive chairman of NALSA, Justice Nath will oversee nationwide efforts to provide free and accessible legal aid to marginalized and economically weaker sections of society. With a background that includes serving as the chief justice of the Gujarat High Court and a judge of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Nath has previously made history by live-streaming court proceedings on a YouTube channel. Justice Maheshwari, who has been serving on the Supreme Court since 2021, will take charge of the SCLSC. As chairman, he will be responsible for overseeing the committee's functioning, policy directions, and legal aid initiatives in line with the mandate under the Legal Services Act. His previous roles include serving as the chief justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court and a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Both appointments were made in accordance with the powers conferred under the Legal Services Authorities Act, with notifications issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice and NALSA on November 19 and 20, respectively.