Bridging the Justice Gap: An Analysis of Pakistan’s Legal Aid and Justice Authority (LAJA) and its Effectiveness for the Marginalized

Abstract

Pakistan has a free legal aid system that attempts to supply the poor and marginalized legal representation to the people who are underprivileged and cannot afford legal representation. It operates on constitutional guarantees, and it is backed by most institutions, such as the Legal Aid and Justice Authority (LAJA), which was founded by the Legal Aid and Justice Authority Act, 2020. This system guarantees that the vulnerable groups like women, children, prisoners, and victims of domestic violence are assisted in the law front both in civil and criminal cases. The provision of legal aid is done by the public defenders, pro bono lawyers, NGOs, and bar associations. Regardless of its good intentions, the system has a couple of issues, including poor funding, ignorance, inadequate coverage in rural regions, and bureaucracy. In order to make it more effective, there is a need to reinforce the system of institutional structures, increase funds, and improve legal literacy. The legal aid system needs to be stronger and embracing to facilitate the rule of law and give equal opportunity of access to every citizen in Pakistan.