<p>Although access to justice is commonly assessed through procedural indicators such as case disposal rates, institutional reach, and service availability, this article argues that such measures are insufficient to explain how justice is experienced and recognised in practice. Drawing on legal semiotics, it conceptualises legal aid institutions as systems of signs through which the state communicates inclusion, authority, and equality, and through which citizens interpret the credibility of justice. Empirically, the study examines legal aid and justice delivery in Assam, a legally plural and historically marginalised region of India. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines institutional data with interviews, focus group discussions, and prison-based interactions, the article analyses key legal aid mechanisms administered through District Legal Services Authorities under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. The findings reveal a persistent gap between institutional intent and social interpretation. While legal aid mechanisms function procedurally, they are unevenly recognised as legitimate. Hierarchies of trust frequently privilege private legal practitioners over state-provided legal aid, and efficiency-oriented forums are often experienced as symbolic rather than empowering. The article argues that access to justice is realised not through procedural expansion alone, but through symbolic legitimacy grounded in trust, continuity, and recognition. By situating Article 39A of the Indian Constitution and the global commitment articulated in the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 16) within everyday interpretive practices, the study demonstrates that justice delivery operates as a semiotically mediated relationship between the state and marginalised citizens.</p>