Free legal aid, under the Indian Constitution, is a fundamental right of the accused in criminal cases and a means-tested entitlement for the poor in civil matters. Article 39-A of the Constitution obligates the State to provide legal services to the needy people in order to secure speedy, costless and equal justice and to create an egalitarian society. To this end the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was set up in 1987 under which various policies and programmes were initiated at the State, District and Taluqa levels from time to time. However, available records and data show that the delivery of legal services suffers from innumerable problems as a result of which justice often gets delayed or even denied to the hapless people.