Time to Ease Public Access to Justice: Solace of PIL

Access to Justice is a Fundamental Right guaranteed to citizens by Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India. According to the Supreme Court justice should be conveniently accessible in terms of distance and adjudication must be affordable to the disputants these are the main facets that constitute the essence of access to justice. The public interest litigation is to ensure public interest and protection of legal and constitutional rights of disadvantaged and oppressed groups or individuals and ensure socio-economic justice for them. PIL should be accessible to the deprived all over the country. The arrangement today has blocked roads to justice under the PIL. This is so because only higher courts are allowed to hear and present the PIL. The PIL cannot be heard by any district court, nor can it be brought before a local court. It is necessary to amend the regulation that states a PIL may only be heard in high courts or the Supreme Court. A constitutional or legislative amendment is required for this the union government and the state governments ought to take the initiative. All political party legislators and members of parliament ought to back such a measure. This proposed change would certainly ease the public access to justice and give solace to common people.