Road to accessible justice is long and winding: Justice Surya Kant

NEw new delhi: The journeying toward approachable justness is neither elongate nor short, but one that demands persistence, empathy and institutional continuity, Chief Justice of India(CJI)-designate Justice Surya Kant said on Sunday, underlining that the legal services framework in India must now move beyond widening its geographic footprint to ensuring deeper, measurable impact on the lives it seeks to transform.Speaking at the valedictory session of the National Conference on “Strengthening the Legal Aid Delivery Mechanism”, Justice Kant -- currently the executive chairperson of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and set to take over as the CJI on November 24 -- called for a renewed phase of “innovation, technology-driven systems, and compassionate association” to define the next decade of the legal aid movement.Justice Kant noted that while the legal services authorities had succeeded in expanding access to remote corners of the country, the challenge ahead was to strengthen and professionalise the ecosystem so that legal assistance becomes meaningful, continuous and adequately supported.“The journey toward accessible justice is not traversed on a linear path; the road is long and winding. NALSA’s future lies not merely in expanding its reach, but in deepening its impact — through innovation, technology and empathetic association,” he said.Reflecting on discussions held over the two-day conference, the CJI-designate highlighted five pillars essential to sustaining the legal aid movement -- a robust legal aid defence system, stronger capacity building for panel lawyers, empowered para-legal volunteers, efficient and accessible Lok Adalats, and financially accountable institutions.The Legal Aid Defence Counsel System (LADCS), he said, marked a significant shift from fragmented representation to a structured model of institutional defence, ensuring continuity, accountability and quality in representing vulnerable accused persons.Similarly, panel lawyers, who often constitute the first points of legal contact for those unable to access counsel, must be provided with sustained training, fair remuneration and institutional support, rather than ad hoc engagement.On Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs), many of whom work deep within communities, from conflict-hit regions to remote tribal belts, Justice Kant observed that they represent “the humane front line of the justice delivery system,” forming the bridge between legal institutions and lived realities. Strengthening their training and welfare, he said, was essential to ensuring dignity and effectiveness at the grassroots.Justice Kant also emphasised the importance of Permanent Lok Adalats in promoting swift and amicable dispute resolution outside adversarial courtrooms, and highlighted the need for sound financial management of legal services bodies to ensure sustainability of reforms.While acknowledging the significant progress made over the decades, with NALSA transforming from a statutory concept into a nationwide movement, he cautioned that success could not be measured merely by numbers or outreach. “Now is not the time to rest on our laurels. The next steps must focus on consolidating what we have built and ensuring that the impact is deep, meaningful and measurable,” he said.Justice Kant concluded with an assurance that NALSA would continue to be anchored by a stable vision and empathetic leadership, even as his own role transitions in the weeks ahead when he takes over as the CJI while Justice Vikram Nath is slated to assume the role of the NALSA’s chairperson.“The journey of justice knows no final destination -- there will always be lives to uplift, voices to empower, and hopes to rekindle,” he said, quoting TS Eliot to underscore that every conclusion must be treated as the start of a renewed effort.