Barriers to Accessing Legal Aid in Rural Areas: A Qualitative Exploration
Keywords:
Legal aid, rural justice, access to justice, qualitative research, legal empowerment, Iran, barriers to legal servicesAbstract
This study aimed to explore the multidimensional barriers that impede access to legal aid among rural populations through the perspectives of individuals with direct or indirect experience in rural legal contexts. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 participants residing in Tehran, each of whom had strong personal or professional ties to rural communities across Iran. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, and interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The data collection instrument consisted of open-ended questions covering structural, socioeconomic, cultural, and policy-related barriers to legal aid. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo software. Coding followed an inductive-deductive process, including open, axial, and selective coding to identify key themes and subthemes. Analysis revealed four major thematic categories: (1) structural and institutional barriers, including lack of legal infrastructure, bureaucratic complexity, and fragmented referral systems; (2) socioeconomic constraints, such as financial insecurity, low educational attainment, and technological exclusion; (3) cultural and social norms, including stigma, patriarchal structures, and reliance on informal justice; and (4) policy and governance failures, including poor rural legal planning, weak funding, and political neglect. Participants reported significant distrust in formal institutions and a strong preference for traditional or informal dispute mechanisms. Women and economically vulnerable individuals experienced disproportionately higher barriers. The findings underscore that access to legal aid in rural settings is hindered not only by physical distance and resource scarcity but also by deep-rooted cultural, economic, and policy-related factors. Addressing these barriers requires a multifaceted, inclusive, and locally responsive approach to legal service design and delivery.
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