Access to Justice: Can Common People Really Reach the Courts?
Lesson 2 Access to Justice: Can Common People Really Reach the Courts? Access to justice is one of the most important promises of the Indian Constitution. It means that every person, rich or poor, powerful or weak, should be able to approach the courts for protection of their rights. In reality, reaching the court is not easy for common people. For many citizens, the word “court” itself creates fear. Legal language is difficult. Court procedures are long. Lawyers are expensive. Dates are uncertain. Because of this, many people give up even before starting their legal journey. Justice on Paper vs Justice in Life Indian law clearly says that everyone is equal before the law. Article 14 of the Constitution guarantees equality. Article 21 protects life and personal liberty. But equality on paper does not always become equality in real life. A daily wage worker loses income on every court date. A poor family cannot afford repeated legal expenses. A common citizen does not understand legal p...