Abstract
English as the official language dominates the domain of
legal services and its functions in Pakistan. Keeping a
prevalent lack of English language proficiency in mind,
access to justice becomes a major problem for those who are
not proficient in the English language. This paper analyses
the role of the English language in facilitating access to
justice for the key participants i.e. litigants and lawyers etc.
The analysis of the questionnaire and interview-based data
confirms the entrenched position of the English language in
the domain that discriminates against the less proficient
users. The participants belonging to marginalized social,
economic, and political strata, therefore, face hindrance in
accessing justice due to lack of English language proficiency
as compared to the mainstream elite social, economic, and
political strata. The dominance of the English language in the
domain of legal services thus associates with the formation
and perpetuation of class differences in Pakistan. The paper
proposes remedial steps including investment in the capacity
building of judiciary to provide translation services to
litigants, lawyers, and public. Further, it is proposed that
substantive steps should be taken to incorporate the local and
national languages in the functions of the judiciary.
Ayaz Ahmad, Sana Hussan. (2020) A STUDY OF LEGAL AID ACCESSIBILITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN PAKISTAN, Pakistan , Volume 56, Issue 1.
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