Justice Must Not Remain Merely a Theoretical Concept — chief Justice Surya Kant
The Sunday Mail
Dehradun: The second memorial lecture on the theme ‘Legal Awareness and Access to Justice’ was organized here at the Forest Research Institute by the Karmbhumi Foundation. Speaking on this occasion, the Chief Guest of the
ceremony—Justice Surya Kant, Judge of the Supreme Court of India—emphasized that justice must not remain merely a theoretical concept; rather, it should be directly experienced by the common people. In particular, economic justice must be actively ensured. In this context, free legal aid was described as an integral aspect of Article 21 of the
Constitution of India; thus, it becomes not merely a policy choice, but a constitutional mandate. Furthermore, he stressed that the judicial system must be both accessible and efficient. Referring to the ‘National Judicial Data Grid,’ he noted that it enables ‘real-time’ updates of cases as soon as they are filed, thereby enhancing transparency. He also clarified the distinction between “pending cases” (pendency) and “arrears,” explaining that the figure of 50 million pending cases does not necessarily represent the actual volume of cases in arrears. Justice Surya Kant underscored the pivotal role played by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and Lok Adalats in alleviating the burden of litigation and ensuring speedy justice. He also highlighted the growing significance of ‘mediation’ as an effective alternative mechanism for dispute resolution. A central focus of his address was legal awareness, which he identified as the first step toward ensuring access to justice. According to him, it is not sufficient for legal remedies to exist merely in statute; rather, it is essential that people understand them and utilize them effectively. To achieve this, legal awareness campaigns must adopt modern and innovative approaches, including digitization. Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was also present at the event.
