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Panel lawyers appointed for bonded labour cases in Thanjavur
Seven panel lawyers have been appointed in Thanjavur district to provide legal aid to bonded labour survivors and trafficking victims. This is the highest number appointed in a single district to date, aligned with the One-Stop Crisis Team expansion and broader state-wide legal aid efforts. The move accompanies prior panel appointments in other districts and reflects training support from the International Justice Mission.
Why It Matters
The appointments broaden legal aid access for survivors and may help expedite bonded labour and trafficking cases through coordinated support for prosecutors and public defenders.
Timeline
1 Event
Seven Thanjavur panel lawyers appointed for bonded labour cases
May 9, 2026
Seven panel lawyers were appointed in Thanjavur district to provide legal aid to survivors of bonded labour and human trafficking. This is described as the highest number of panel lawyers appointed in a single district so far. The appointment follows the establishment of the One-Stop Crisis Team (OSCT) by the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority to combat sex, organ and labour trafficking across the State, with OSCT expansion across multiple districts. A notification issued by the Member Secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority led the District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) to nominate panel lawyers to assist public prosecutors, special public prosecutors, and assistant public prosecutors in conducting cases and expediting the legal process. Panel lawyers have reportedly already been appointed in Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Theni, and Sivagangai. The Thanjavur appointment was influenced by the volume of cases and by specialised training imparted by the International Justice Mission (IJM), an NGO involved in establishing the OSCT.