Availability of legal aid should be made easier: SC judge Surya Kant

Supreme Court judge Surya Kant on Saturday said the availability of legal aid should be made easier, while stressing that the use of technology must be guided by local knowledge, linguistic accessibility and human empathy.

Delivering the welcome address at the inaugural function of a national conference on strengthening legal-aid delivery mechanisms here, Justice Kant said the true measure of a justice system is not how swiftly it decides complex cases, but how deeply it touches the lives of ordinary citizens.

''Looking ahead, we must make legal help easier to obtain. That demands both administrative reforms and humane practice. Technology does offer real opportunities like remote clinics, online conciliations and digital complaint portals, but technology alone will not suffice. It must be guided by local knowledge, linguistic accessibility and human empathy,'' the CJI designate said.

Justice Kant said the true measure of a justice system is not how swiftly it decides complex cases, but how deeply it touches the lives of ordinary citizens.

''It celebrates the partnership between those who interpret the law, those who implement it and those who carry its light to the farthest corners of our country.

''When our Constitution was framed, the goal was not just to create a legal order, but to nurture an instrument that secures fairness, human dignity and equal protection for all. Legal aid is where that design meets reality,'' he said.

Justice Kant said millions have been spared lengthy litigation through conciliatory forums, lakhs have found representation without any cost, a lot many victims have received statutory compensation, thousands have got their disputes resolved through mediation -- each outcome translating law into relief and stability for ordinary lives.

These are not mere numbers, they are the people whose problems were met with practical help, he said.

Justice Kant said the legal-aid movement has, in recent years, gone deeper and stretched its reach further.

''The prison programmes now focus on rehabilitation rather than only punishment, schemes that support families of defence personnel, a nationwide movement to institutionalise mediation and outreach for communities affected by human-wildlife conflicts -- these are some examples of the law adapting to social realities.

''This mission requires shared ownership. Judges, lawyers, legal educators, law students, para-legal volunteers, community groups and the civil society -- all have distinct roles and act as the bridge between digital tools and the needs of citizens,'' he said.

The apex court judge said strengthening legal aid is not merely about expanding institutional capacity, it is about simplifying the pathway through which a person in distress can access the protection of law.

''Our endeavour is to design systems that respond with speed, clarity and compassion, to make justice truly affordable, understandable and reachable to people wherever they are,'' Justice Kant said.