Shortcircuit protection using transistors
There's even more current flowing through the R1 and R2 than R3.
The R3 could be removed with little change in operation.
If Q1 was changed to a MOSFET (eg BSS138) and the R3 removed the quiescent current would be almost zero. R2 could be shorted out and removed as well.
It is not a very good circuit as it relies upon the Hfe of Q2.