Study Urges Expanding Legal Aid Defence Counsel System To Maharashtra Talukas
On July 17, 2026, a study on the functioning of the Legal Aid Defence Counsel System (LADCS) in Maharashtra recommended expanding the scheme to the taluka level to address high criminal case pendency and uneven access to free legal aid. Released by Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, the report proposed that the decentralised rollout initially focus on high-burden districts, including Pune, Chandrapur, Solapur, and Nandurbar, to ensure timely legal representation for marginalised and economically weaker accused persons.
The 44-page report was prepared by the advocacy group Renovate India with support from the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA), District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs), the legal aid NGO Dard Se Humdard Tak Trust (DSHT), and the Supra Legal Foundation. The study highlights that taluka courts serve as the first point of contact for accused individuals, making local LADCS units critical for providing immediate representation during remand, bail, and trial stages.
According to the study, Maharashtra had 33 functional LADCS offices staffed by 379 personnel, including 234 defence counsels and 145 support staff, as of December 31, 2025. The system handled 28,879 assigned cases in the 2023-24 period with a 62.6 per cent disposal rate. In 2024-25, assigned cases fell to 20,702, but the disposal rate improved to 68.4 per cent.
Despite improved efficiency, criminal case pendency remains a significant challenge. The survey recorded 68,349 pending criminal cases at the taluka level across Maharashtra. Pune accounted for the highest share with 9,127 pending cases (13.4 per cent), followed closely by Chandrapur with 13.1 per cent, Solapur with 10.9 per cent, and Nandurbar with 8.8 per cent.
The report also identified stark disparities in legal aid coverage for undertrial prisoners. While 81 per cent of undertrial prisoners in Nandurbar received legal aid, 96 per cent of those in Aurangabad did not. High rates of unrepresented undertrials were also recorded in Jalna (94 per cent), Gadchiroli (89 per cent), Ahmednagar (83 per cent), and Latur (81 per cent).
Interviews with lawyers and law students revealed that a lack of awareness and a perception that government-appointed lawyers are less competent discourage eligible persons from seeking help. Additionally, legal aid lawyers cited low remuneration, delayed payments, and a lack of professional recognition as major operational hurdles.
In Mumbai, the LADCS operates with only six defence counsels, who collectively handled approximately 771 cases until March 31, 2026. The report noted that such heavy workloads adversely affect the quality of legal representation.
To address these gaps, the study recommended establishing dedicated taluka-level LADCS units, launching awareness campaigns, revising lawyer remuneration, and implementing a digital monitoring framework to track performance.
