Legal Aid

Legal aid means free legal service for the promotion of the welfare of the Poor People in any judicial proceeding before the Court, Tribunal or any Authority. It intends to provide free legal assistance to the poor persons who are not able to enforce the right given to them by Law. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution aims to secure to the people of India justice- socio economic and political. Article 38(1) states- The state shall promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order including justice. Article 39A states that the state shall in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or scheme, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen.

Illiteracy is a major obstacles to legal aid. The Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a website- doj.gov.in (in 2017) for the Lawyers to register themselves for pro bono service. The minister said that the Lawyers who offer free legal help to marginalized communities would be considered for elevation as judges on a priority basis.

Measures for effective legal aid:-

1. The legal aid movement has to go to the grass root level and help to discover, identify and solve the problems and difficulties of the poor.
2. The participation not only of the practicing lawyers but also of the courts, the law, teachers, senior law students, trained social workers, public at large is also needed.
3. It should also include activities like spreading legal awareness and educating people on their basic rights with the help of NGO’s.
4. Promote more informal paralegal services in places where basic access to justice opportunities and infrastructures are absent.
5. Promote a pro bono service culture and tradition within the legal profession.
6. Offer comparative models of legal aid to government in reforming the movement.
7. Support the development of demonstration legal aid/public defender offices in cooperation with governments.
8. Lok Adalats should be promoted in the right direction as they settle the disputes quickly by counseling and discussions, etc. Its basis is to provide quick justice with the mutual consent of the parties. Their object is to reduce burden on the Courts so that the problem of law’s delay may be solved and people may get justice within due time. The machinery of the Government engaged in the execution of this movement in the state must be geared from bottom to top.