polity medium Fill in the Blank

Under Article 39A (inserted by 42nd Amendment) and Article 21, the Supreme Court in Hussainara Khatoon case held that free legal aid to poor accused is essential for ______ justice.

  1. procedural
  2. substantive
  3. retributive
  4. distributive

Answer: procedural

Free legal aid jurisprudence: (a) Article 39A (DPSP): State shall provide free legal aid to ensure justice not denied due to economic disabilities, (b) Hussainara Khatoon (1979): Free legal aid essential for fair trial under Article 21; procedural justice requires equal access to legal representation, (c) Operationalization: Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 establishing NALSA, State/District Legal Services Authorities, Lok Adalats. Ensures substantive equality: formal rights meaningful only with access to enforcement mechanisms.

Topic Article 21 Expansion - Right to Free Legal Aid
Exam Relevance Access to justice mechanism frequently asked in UPSC and SSC exams
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