Legal Aid Under Scrutiny: High Court Demands Action

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has mandated the State Legal Services Authority to report on the legal aid accessible to prisoners. This order follows a convict's delayed appeal due to lack of legal support, highlighting systemic issues in providing timely legal assistance to underrepresented individuals.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued decisive orders demanding accountability from the MP State Legal Services Authority regarding legal aid provisions to undertrial prisoners and convicts statewide. This comes in light of an appeal filed by a murder convict, who was not granted timely legal assistance.

Justices Vivek Agrawal and Devnarayan Mishra's bench directed that reports be compiled by superintendents of jails across the state within a two-week deadline. The appeal by Mohammad Aslam, sentenced to life in October 2022 for murder, highlighted a concerning delay of 850 days.

The High Court's recent directive sheds light on systemic insufficiencies in the legal aid framework, questioning the efficacy and responsiveness of legal services intended for economically disadvantaged individuals unable to navigate the judicial system independently.

(With inputs from agencies.)