CJI Stresses Faith Over Statistics in Measuring Legal Services Success
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Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai emphasized on Saturday that the true success of the legal service movement lies in the trust and faith of common people, not in statistics or reports. Speaking at the national conference on 'Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms' in New Delhi, he highlighted the importance of foreseeing and addressing potential injustices. Gavai shared his experience of visiting a relief camp in Manipur, where he met an elderly woman who expressed her gratitude with tears in her eyes. This encounter, he said, showed him the real impact of legal aid on those who receive it. The CJI stated that the real reward of the legal services movement is not in statistics or annual reports, but in the quiet gratitude and renewed faith of citizens. Gavai was joined by other Supreme Court judges on Legal Service Day, where he reflected on Mahatma Gandhi's principle of considering the poorest and weakest person's needs. He described the legal service movement as 'Gandhi's talisman in action,' emphasizing that justice is not a privilege, but a right of every citizen. The CJI praised legal aid lawyers and para-legal volunteers, saying that even their presence for a single day can be life-changing for someone who has never received help before. He urged them to be proactive and continuously reflect on how society is changing, rather than waiting for distress to knock on their doors. Gavai recalled the words of BR Ambedkar, who said that the battle for freedom is a battle for reclaiming human personality. He suggested that this idea is reflected in the work of the legal aid movement, which seeks to restore dignity and voice to marginalized individuals. The CJI concluded by saying that the Constitution's promise will be fulfilled only when every person feels that the system of justice belongs to them. He encouraged everyone to remember that every act of legal aid, no matter how small, is an act of nation-building.
