CJI B R Gavai urged judges and lawyers to ensure that the light of justice reaches every citizen, emphasizing that true justice means empowering even those at the margins of society through equal access to legal aid and fairness.
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NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, on inclusivity and equality in the justice system, declared that “justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen.”
Speaking at the National Conference on Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms, held at the Supreme Court of India, CJI Gavai emphasised that judges and lawyers have a duty to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society.
Addressing the gathering, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and several senior judges, the CJI said that the true measure of justice lies not in statistics but in the trust of the common person.
“The real reward of the legal services movement does not lie in numbers or reports, but in the quiet gratitude of citizens who once felt invisible,”
Gavai said, urging the legal fraternity to treat legal aid as a living movement, not just an administrative function.
At the event organised by NALSA (National Legal Services Authority), which marked 30 years of its establishment, CJI Gavai underlined that legal aid should not be reactive.
“We must not wait for distress to knock on our doors. Instead, we must foresee where injustice may arise and reach there before it does,”
he said, calling for a proactive and empathetic approach to access to justice.
The CJI reminded the audience that India’s Constitution, now in its 75th year, envisions a society built on social, economic, and political justice for all.
“The Constitution’s promise will be truly fulfilled only when every person, regardless of caste, gender, language, or circumstance, feels that the system of justice belongs to them,”
Gavai said.
Highlighting the Prime Minister’s presence at the event, Gavai said it reaffirmed the shared responsibility of the legislature, executive, and judiciary in strengthening legal aid and ensuring justice for all.
Justice Vikram Nath, delivering the vote of thanks, said that PM Modi’s participation had given “renewed direction and energy” to the national effort to make access to justice efficient, inclusive, and technology-driven.
Formed under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, NALSA was established to provide free legal services to the weaker sections of society and to organise Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
The Chief Justice of India serves as NALSA’s Patron-in-Chief, while the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court acts as its Executive Chairman.
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As India celebrates 75 years of its Constitution, the CJI called upon all members of the judiciary and legal community to renew their commitment to justice.
“Even your presence for a single day, your visit to a village or a jail, or your conversation with a person in distress can be life-changing for someone who has never had anyone come for them before,”
he said, reminding the legal community that justice must be human, accessible, and compassionate
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