Justice Vikram Nath of the Supreme Court recently reiterated that the quality of legal aid for the poor cannot itself be poor. He said that if legal aid is only rendered in form but not in spirit, it may follow the procedure, but then it fails the Constitution and therefore, the true idea of justice itself. This is because an essential facet of Articles 21 and 39A of the Constitution is meant to ensure that justice is not denied because of poverty or ignorance, as it is not an act of charity, but an act of faith — faith in the Constitution and equality of all before the law.

"It needs to be understood that this is not merely a formality. It is a constitutional duty- one that can decide whether a person spends years in confinement or walks free with dignity. When legal aid is rendered i

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