India's Justice System Needs a Human Touch: CJI-Designate Surya Kant
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New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI)-designate Justice Surya Kant has emphasized the need for a more inclusive and accessible justice system in India. Speaking as the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), Justice Kant called for a system that combines technology with human empathy to ensure justice is truly reachable to all. He emphasized that technology alone cannot bridge the gaps in access to justice unless it is rooted in local knowledge, linguistic accessibility, and human understanding. Justice Kant highlighted the significance of legal aid in making justice affordable and accessible to all, citing the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, which created a nationwide institutional network to ensure that economic barriers do not shut people out of justice. He pointed out that millions have benefited from NALSA's work over the years, including those who have secured free legal representation, resolved disputes through mediation, and received rehabilitation support. However, Justice Kant cautioned that strengthening legal aid is not solely an institutional task, but requires shared ownership from judges, lawyers, legal educators, law students, and community groups. He called for a renewed commitment to making the justice system more pragmatic, dignified, and people-centric, and emphasized that the measure of a legal system should be how deeply it touches the lives of ordinary people. Justice Kant's vision for a more inclusive justice system is guided by the principles of speed, clarity, and compassion. He believes that by designing systems that respond to the needs of the people, we can make justice truly affordable, understandable, and reachable to all. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CJI Bhushan R Gavai, and Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in attendance, Justice Kant's message resonated with the audience at the national conference marking Legal Services Day.
