Open Access Research Article
AWARENESS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LEGAL AID SERVICES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
Abstract
Access
to justice is the foundation of the rule of law. Having a legal system that is
accessible in a legal sense is not enough. Individuals must be aware of their
rights and have access to counsel, the relevant institutions and, if necessary,
legal representation. Legal aid is intended to overcome the disadvantages which
arise from social disadvantage, poverty, ignorance of the law and unequal
access to expert advice. Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 provides for the
establishment of legal services authorities at the national, state, district
and local levels and Article 39A of the Constitution of India directs the State
to secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on a basis of
equal opportunity and to provide free legal aid by suitable legislation or
schemes or in any other way to ensure that opportunities for securing justice
are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities. This
study is a non-doctrinal study on the public perception on the effectiveness of
the legal aid service in India. This includes awareness of the general
availability of the scheme, eligibility and free help, familiarization with
District Legal Services Authorities and Legal Aid Clinics, experience of using
the scheme, perception of accessibility, level of public confidence, barriers
in accessing the scheme and possible outreach strategies. The answer material
presents a contradictory picture. The respondents appear to have some grasp of
the general idea of legal assistance, but they are less consistent in their
knowledge of the institutions, eligibility requirements and practical access.
Lack of knowledge and ignorance seem to be major barriers. Help has been judged
effective, mediocre or unclear. The respondents provide helpful suggestions
such as educational institutions, legal literacy camps, awareness campaigns,
and more accessible clinics. In addition to the presence of legal services
organizations, the study concludes that public awareness, accessibility,
quality of assistance, communication and follow-up should be taken into account
when assessing the efficacy of legal aid. The return image is a cropped view of
a spreadsheet, and we cannot reliably check each individual count. Therefore,
the results are presented in descriptive percentage terms rather than exact
figures. The report points to ongoing community engagement, more precise
eligibility information, more robust legal aid clinics, user-friendly referral
systems and frequent assessment.
Published Paper
Author Details
Authors: ARVINDCHAKARAVARTHI ARegistration ID: 1013489 | Published Paper ID: IJLRA13489Approved ISSN: 2582-6433 | Country: Delhi, IndiaPage No.: 2782-2795
Article Information
AWARENESS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LEGAL AID SERVICES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
Authors: ARVINDCHAKARAVARTHI A
- Journal IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Volume 3
- Issue 7
About Journal
International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis
- AbbreviationIJLRA
- ISSN2582-6433
- AccessOpen Access
- LicenseCC 4.0
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