Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Chief Justice of India Surya Kant emphasised on Saturday that for justice to be truly accessible, legal institutions need to reach people who cannot come to them.
He said justice should "travel to the citizen" instead of expecting citizens to come to the justice system.
Addressing the inaugural session of the West Zone Regional Conference of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), the CJI highlighted that the conference’s core pillars—dialogue, dignity and inclusion—give practical meaning to the constitutional promise of equal justice.
The two-day conference, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, was organised under the joint aegis of NALSA (New Delhi), the Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority (Jabalpur) and the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The event was inaugurated by CJI Surya Kant, Patron-in-Chief of NALSA, alongside Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, Supreme Court and High Court judges, judicial officers and Legal Services Authorities office-bearers.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav spoke about how technology is changing the judiciary.
He mentioned new steps such as e-filing, digital records, virtual hearings, modern judicial management and the 'One Data-One Case' system.
DIALOGUE, DIGNITY & INCLUSIVE LEGAL AID
CJI Surya Kant stressed that access to justice is not just about laws. It starts with listening to people’s problems in their own languages instead of using legal terms.
He pointed out that legal services should be tailored to local needs, since tribal families in Madhya Pradesh, a fishing community in Goa, a migrant worker in Gujarat and a woman in Mumbai all have different requirements.
Justice Kant said dignity is important and that a citizen’s experience with justice starts even before a court order is given. It begins when they first walk into a legal aid clinic, court building or Taluka Legal Services Authority office.
"The real test of an institution is not how well it serves those who can reach it, but how effectively it reaches those who never can," the CJI said.
The Chief Justice mentioned Indore’s history and recalled how Devi Ahilya Bai made justice accessible by meeting directly with farmers, widows and traders, without any go-betweens.
ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY & CASE BACKLOG
CJI Surya Kant said that while technology has helped, it is only a "bridge, not a destination." He explained that in remote and tribal areas, para-legal volunteers and legal aid lawyers are still the main way people connect with the justice system.
When asked about long-pending cases, the Chief Justice said that the backlog is much less than it was 10 or 20 years ago. He added that technology-based programmes for faster case resolution have shown "very good results."
