Speed, clarity, compassion must for accessible legal aid, says justice Kant

LEgal economic assistance in the rural area must develop into a scheme that responds with “ velocity, clarity and compassion” to ensure that justice becomes genuinely affordable and accessible to all, Chief Justice of India (CJI)-designate justice Surya Kant said on Saturday.Speaking as executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), the judge emphasised that technology alone cannot bridge gaps in access to justice unless it is rooted in local knowledge, linguistic accessibility and human empathy.“Looking ahead, we must make legal help easier to obtain. That demands both administrative reforms and humane practice,” said justice Kant, while delivering the welcome address at the inaugural session of a national conference held to mark Legal Services Day.“Remote clinics, online conciliations, and digital complaint portals offer real opportunities, but they must be guided by human understanding. 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,” he maintained.Justice Kant said the significance of legal aid lies at the point where constitutional promise meets social reality. “Legal aid converts a constitutional value into pragmatic relief…It is the means by which the poor, the marginalised, and the invisible victims of the system can assert their rights, obtain remedies, and be heard.”The judge traced this framework back to the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, which gave statutory effect to Article 39A of the Constitution and created a nationwide institutional network to ensure that economic barriers do not shut people out of justice.Outlining the impact of NALSA’s work over the years, justice Kant said that millions have been spared prolonged litigation through conciliatory forums, lakhs have secured legal representation free of cost, and thousands have resolved disputes through mediation. “These numbers are not mere figures. They are people whose problems were met with practical help,” he said.He also highlighted the evolution of legal services institutions to meet contemporary needs, including programmes for rehabilitation of prisoners, support schemes for families of defence personnel, mediation initiatives, and outreach models for communities affected by ecological and human-wildlife conflicts.But strengthening legal aid, justice Kant cautioned, is not solely an institutional task. “This mission requires shared ownership,” he said. Judges, lawyers, legal educators, law students, para-legal volunteers, community groups and civil society, he stressed, form the bridge between digital tools and the lived experiences of citizens.Calling for a renewed commitment to making the justice system “pragmatic, dignified, and truly people-centric,” Justice Kant said 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.“In building systems that are simpler, humane, and accessible, we do more than uphold the Constitution—we fulfil its noblest promise,” he emphasised.