India's Justice System Must Evolve for True Affordability and Accessibility: CJI-Designate Surya Kant
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Chief Justice of India (CJI)-designate Surya Kant emphasized the need for India's justice system to become more accessible and affordable. Speaking as the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), he highlighted the importance of incorporating speed, clarity, and compassion into the system. This, he believes, will ensure that justice is genuinely within reach for all citizens. Justice Kant noted that technology alone cannot bridge the gap in access to justice, and that it must be accompanied by local knowledge, linguistic accessibility, and human empathy. He emphasized the need for administrative reforms and humane practices to make legal help easier to obtain. The CJI-designate emphasized that remote clinics, online conciliations, and digital complaint portals offer opportunities for improving access to justice, but must be guided by human understanding. He also highlighted the significance of legal aid in converting constitutional values into pragmatic relief, enabling the poor, marginalized, and invisible victims of the system to assert their rights. Justice Kant outlined the impact of NALSA's work, which has resulted in millions being spared prolonged litigation, lakhs securing free legal representation, and thousands resolving disputes through mediation. He also highlighted the evolution of legal services institutions to meet contemporary needs, including programs for rehabilitation of prisoners and support schemes for families of defence personnel. However, Justice Kant cautioned that strengthening legal aid is not solely an institutional task. He emphasized the need for shared ownership among judges, lawyers, legal educators, law students, para-legal volunteers, community groups, and civil society to bridge the gap between digital tools and lived experiences of citizens. In his call for a renewed commitment to making the justice system pragmatic, dignified, and truly people-centric, Justice Kant emphasized that the measure of a legal system should not be how swiftly it resolves complex disputes, but how deeply it touches the lives of ordinary people. By building systems that are simpler, humane, and accessible, India can uphold its Constitution and fulfill its noblest promise.
