Legal Aid Systems in India: Challenges and Solutions

• Legal services institutions provide free legal aid to 80% of India’s population.

• Between April 2023 and March 2024, only 15.50 lakh people received legal aid services, a 28% increase from the previous year.

• Legal aid clinics serve rural and remote areas.

• The legal aid budget is less than 1% of the total justice budget.

• The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) disburses grants to State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs).

• National per capita spending on legal aid has doubled since 2019.

• The number of para-legal volunteers has dropped by nearly 38% between 2019 and 2024.

• The Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) is operational in 610 out of 670 districts.

• Issues such as inconsistent service quality, lack of accountability, and lack of trust undermine the effectiveness of legal aid systems.