IAS/UPSC Coaching Institute  

31 Jul 2025 : Boost the capacity of legal aid systems

Editorial 2: ​​Boost the capacity of legal aid systems

Context

Without these resources, the system falls short of providing the quality of justice enshrined in the Constitution

 

Introduction

Legal services institutions, established under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, are entrusted with the responsibility of delivering free legal aid to nearly 80% of India’s population. However, their actual impact remains limited. Between April 2023 and March 2024, only 15.50 lakh individuals accessed legal aid — a figure still far from the intended scale, despite a 28% increase from the 12.14 lakh served the previous year.

  • These institutions typically operate from front offices attached to local courts, prisons, and juvenile justice boards, providing free legal counsel through panels of empanelled lawyers to economically disadvantaged individuals, persons in custody, and other vulnerable groups.
  • In rural and remote regions, legal aid clinics cater to clusters of villages. According to the India Justice Report 2025, there is one legal service clinic for every 163 villages across the country.
  • The reach and effectiveness of these services, however, are closely tied to the availability of financial and human resources.

 

Budget for legal aid

  • Low Budget Share: Legal aid accounts for less than 1% of the total justice system budget (which includes police, prisons, judiciary, and legal aid combined).
  • Funding Structure: Legal aid is funded by both State governments and the Central government through the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), which allocates funds to State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs).
  • Budget Growth: Between 2017–18 and 2022–23, total legal aid funding across 25 States nearly doubled — from ₹601 crore to ₹1,086 crore.
  • State Contributions: This increase was mainly due to State-led budget expansion, which rose from ₹394 crore to ₹866 crore. Thirteen States more than doubled their allocations, notably Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
  • Decline in NALSA Support: In contrast, NALSA's central funding fell from ₹207 crore to ₹169 crore over the same period.
  • Reduced Fund Utilisation: The utilisation rate of NALSA funds also dropped — from 75% in 2017–18 to 59% in 2022–23. 
  • Expenditure Restrictions (NALSA Manual 2023): The NALSA Manual for District Legal Services Authorities (2023) restricts State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) from using central funds on certain items without prior approval. Prohibited expenses include:
    • Hiring project or front office staff
    • Vehicle and equipment purchase or rental
    • Hiring outsourced personnel
    • Costs related to victim compensation
    • Food distribution or tree plantation activities
  • Mandated Fund Allocation: The manual mandates a categorical spending ceiling:
    • 50% for legal aid and legal advice
    • 25% for legal awareness and outreach
    • 25% for Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) and mediation
  • Per Capita Legal Aid Spending:
    • Since 2019, national per capita spending on legal aid has more than doubled, from around ₹3 to ₹7.
    • In 2022–23, the highest per capita spend was in Haryana (₹16).
    • Below-average spenders included:
      • Jharkhand and Assam (₹5)
      • Uttar Pradesh (₹4)
      • Bihar (₹3)
      • West Bengal (₹2)
    • The national average stood at approximately ₹6 per capita.

 

A shrinking frontline

  • Frontline Impact of Budget Gaps: Low fiscal prioritisation, coupled with underutilisation of legal aid funds, directly affects frontline workers — especially para-legal volunteers (PLVs) who play a critical role in community legal awareness, dispute resolution, and connecting citizens with services.
  • Sharp Decline in PLVs: Between 2019 and 2024, the number of para-legal volunteers dropped by nearly 38%. The national average fell from 5.7 to 3.1 per lakh population by 2023. States like West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh had just 1 PLV per lakh population.
  • Training vs. Deployment Gap: In 2023–24, out of 53,000 trained PLVs, only 14,000 were deployed. In comparison, 2019–20 saw 63,000 trained and 22,000 deployed, indicating a significant drop in utilisation over time.
  • Honorariums Below Minimum Wages: Most States continue to pay below-minimum wage daily rates to PLVs. As of March 31, 2023:
    • Kerala: ₹750 per day (highest)
    • 22 States: ₹500 per day
    • 3 States: ₹400 per day
    • Gujarat, Meghalaya, Mizoram: ₹250 per day — insufficient for basic daily expenses
  • LADC Scheme Rollout: Since 2022, NALSA launched the Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) scheme, focusing on accused persons only (unlike the earlier model that included victims). It is inspired by the public defender model.
  • LADC Coverage & Funding:
    • Currently active in 610 out of 670 districts
    • In 2023–24, ₹200 crore was fully utilised for LADCs
    • In 2024–25, the allocation fell to ₹147.9 crore
  • Potential of the LADC Model: The scheme is expected to:
    • Provide dedicated, quality legal representation
    • Reduce burden on general legal aid lawyers
    • Help streamline legal aid delivery
      However, it remains a work in progress, and it's too early to determine its long-term success.

 

Conclusion

While States are gradually increasing their allocations for legal aid, persistent challenges — including uneven service quality, weak accountability, and low public trust — continue to hamper its overall effectiveness. Many of these issues can be addressed through greater investment in funding and human resources. Strengthening the capacity and infrastructure of the legal aid system is crucial to ensuring it functions as a truly effective instrument of justice. Without such support, the system remains ill-equipped to deliver the constitutional promise of equal access to justice.