Aum Savjani, Marwadi University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
ABSTRACT
The Right of Access to Justice is the prime element of a democracy. It is the basic principle of the Rule of Law. The Covid – 19 pandemic has impacted society and the legal system in a number of ways beyond imagination. The fate of Justice during those times was totally unpredictable and beyond the control of the people and the legal system, no matter what country we talk about. The pandemic posed various challenges to the people and legal system and one of the most difficult ones was the challenge to protect the Right of Access to Justice. An important tool known as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been quite successful in facing this challenge and protecting the Right of Access to Justice time and time again in India. Public Interest Litigation, as the name suggests, means litigation for the Public Interest. This tool has ensured Social, Economic, Political, Cultural and Civil Justice for the people of India over many years. On average, the Hon’ble Supreme Court receives over 25,000 PILs every year.1 It is evident that the tool of PIL has protected the Right of Access to Justice for the Indians even during the Covid – 19 era. This article outlines in the Indian context, the historical development of the concept of Public Interest Litigation, its impact on the Right of Access to Justice during the Covid – 19 era, the issues and challenges around the concept during the Covid – 19 era and the suggestions to improve the legal system amidst the constant fear of another Covid-19 outbreak.
