ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN RURAL AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Abstract

Access to justice remains a critical yet often unfulfilled promise for rural and marginalized communities in India, despite constitutional guarantees of equality and legal empowerment. This study examines the systemic, structural, and socio-economic barriers that impede equitable justice delivery to vulnerable populations, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, and economically disadvantaged groups. Through an analysis of legal frameworks, institutional mechanisms, and grassroots realities, the paper evaluates the effectiveness of initiatives like Legal Aid Services (NALSA), Lok Adalats, and mobile courts in bridging the justice gap. It highlights challenges such as geographical inaccessibility, financial constraints, legal illiteracy, procedural complexities, and social hierarchies that perpetuate exclusion from the justice system. The study also explores innovative solutions, including legal awareness programs, technology-driven interventions, and community paralegal models, while assessing their scalability and impact. Findings reveal that while policy measures exist, their implementation remains inconsistent, calling for a more inclusive, participatory, and rights-based approach to justice delivery. The paper concludes with recommendations to strengthen last-mile connectivity, enhance legal awareness, and reform procedural norms to make justice truly accessible for India’s rural and marginalized populations.