Institutional Accessibility Level and Sustainability of Access to Public Legal Defense for the Care of People in Situations of Vulnerability in Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico

The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of institutional accessibility and the sustainability of access to public legal defense for vulnerable individuals in the municipality of Tulancingo de Bravo, Hidalgo, Mexico. The research was conducted using a quantitative approach, with a descriptive scope and a non-experimental, cross-sectional design. The study population consisted of all public defenders assigned to the Public Defender's Office of the State of Hidalgo in the municipality of Tulancingo, who were surveyed using a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. The results show that, from the public defenders' perspective, institutional accessibility is predominantly favorable, with the clarity of the information provided and the service's reasonable initial response times highlighted as strengths. However, areas for improvement were identified in the dissemination of information about the service and in strengthening outreach mechanisms for vulnerable populations. The importance of these findings lies in the fact that they provide empirical evidence at the municipal level on the functioning of public legal defense, contributing to the analysis of access to justice and the institutional sustainability of the service, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 16.