Revisiting justice delivery in india: legal aid as a convergence of constitutional mandates and judicial enforcement

Access to justice is an essential element in the democratic process. Whatever rights and responsibilities exist they are worthless unless those rights and responsibilities are fully observedirrespective of socio-economic status anyone.Legal aid implies legal assistance to people who are otherwise unable to afford legal representation and unable to defend themselves adequately due to their poverty, social disadvantage, or marginalization.The legal aid for those who cannot afford other means of access to justice has become an essential component in the elements of developed societies. However, the relevance of legal aid in providing access justice in civil and criminal justice system has been undertaken based on economic incapacity, social vulnerability and the loss of liberty each of which prevents an equal access to justice.This article examines the evolving legal landscape surrounding legal aid in India and underscores the responsibility of the State, as a welfare state, to guarantee access to justice as a constitutionalmandate and judicially enforced right.