Legal Aid Must Match Quality Of Paid Representation, Not Be Token Exercise: Justice A.S. Chandurkar

Justice A. S. Chandurkar has emphasised that free legal services for economically weaker litigants must maintain the same level of competence and diligence as legal representation available to those who can afford it, cautioning that legal aid should not translate into inferior legal assistance.

Delivering the keynote address at the 20th memorial lecture held in honour of Prof. S.P. Sathe at ILS Law College, He said that providing legal aid merely for form’s sake serves no meaningful purpose. 

The judge urged senior advocates to actively participate in legal aid work and guide young lawyers, while also highlighting the importance of law school legal aid clinics in strengthening access to justice through quality and supervision.