Document Abstract
This paper presents a micro-study of the scheme of legal aid
services and the impact of its digitization on the administration
of criminal justice in India based on the case study of the District
Legal Services Authority (DLSA) of Surguja at Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh State (India). This DLSA has been found to suffer from
proper empanelment, allotment and monitoring of criminal defense
counsels to the detainees. The empanelled defense counsels have
been reluctant to pursue the case of detainees at the bail and trial
stages. Resultantly, fair criminal trial according to the due process
of law has been compromised, the fundamental guarantee to free
defense counsel has been threatened and public trust in the criminal justice system has been deteriorated. Heeding the reports and
judicial directions, the Union Ministry of Law and Justice has introduced the digitization of legal aid services of all authorities and
committees established under the NALSA Act, 1987. The website
portals and mobile applications have been brought upon to facilitate the beneficiaries to apply for free legal aid and know about
actions taken therein. Nonetheless, these endeavours have been
found inadequate in the mission of administration of criminal justice
particularly for the detainees.