Thread by @barandbench

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the Inaugural Session of National Conference on 'Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms' and Celebration of 'Legal Services Day'
#SupremeCourt @PMOIndia

CJI BR Gavai, CJI Designate Justice Surya Kant, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal present on dias @arjunrammeghwal #SupremeCourt @PMOIndia

@arjunrammeghwal @PMOIndia Justice Surya Kant: As demand for equal and affordable justice evolved, the enactment of Legal Services Authority act was a decisive moment

#SupremeCourt @PMOIndia

@arjunrammeghwal @PMOIndia Justice Surya Kant: Thousands have got disputes resolved through mediation, legal aid movement has stretched further. Prison programs focus on rehabilitation and not punishment.

Justice Surya Kant: It is clear that the demand is both for administrative reforms and for a human touch. Technology offers real opportunities such as remote legal aid clinics, online conciliations, and digital complaint portals, but technology alone will not suffice. It must be guided by local knowledge, linguistic accessibility, and human empathy.

This mission requires shared ownership. Judges, lawyers, legal educators, law students, paralegal volunteers, community groups, and civil society all have distinct roles. Together, they act as a bridge between digital tools and the needs of citizens.

On this Legal Services Day, as we gather for the National Conference on strengthening legal aid delivery mechanisms, we reaffirm our commitment to building a justice system that is pragmatic, dignified, and truly people centric. Strengthening legal aid is not merely about expanding institutional capacity; it is about simplifying the pathways through which a person in distress can access the protection of law.

Our endeavour must be to design systems that respond with speed, clarity, and compassion to make justice truly affordable, understandable, and reachable to people wherever they are.

@arjunrammeghwal @PMOIndia CJI BR Gavai with Prime Minister Narendra Modi @PMOIndia #SupremeCourt

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal: Work is being carried out under the Disha scheme (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice). I am very pleased to share that since its launch in 2017, the Tele-Law programme has provided pre-litigation advice to more than one crore beneficiaries across the country.

To promote legal literacy and awareness in local languages, AI-based linguistic tools are being used to run innovative justice initiatives. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is committed to continuous reform of the justice delivery system by working shoulder to shoulder with the judiciary, guided by the mantra of “Reform, Perform and Transform.”

In 2015–16, the budget for NALSA’s legal aid activities stood at ₹68 crore, which has now been increased to ₹400 crore in the current financial year. Out of this, ₹350 crore has already been released.

NALSA has designed special schemes to address challenges faced by various disadvantaged groups, including victims of violence, disaster-affected individuals, prisoners through the establishment of legal aid clinics in jails, victims of human trafficking, unorganised sector workers, children, persons with mental disabilities, tribal communities, and needy senior citizens. For its sensitive and compassionate work in these areas, NALSA truly deserves appreciation. @arjunrammeghwal

CJI B. R. Gavai: Including one on LECs, capacity building of panel lawyers and paralegal volunteers, spending patterns and financial management of legal services institutions, the themes before us are both reflective and forward looking. They help us assess our progress and envision the path ahead in building stronger institutions, skilled personnel and sustainable systems for justice delivery.

As I do every year on Legal Services Day, I find myself reflecting on what Mahatma Gandhi described as his moral compass. He said that whenever we are in doubt, we should recall the face of the poorest and weakest person we have seen and ask ourselves whether the step we contemplate will be of any use to them. This idea of a talisman finds its expression in the movement and work of our legal services institutions.

This movement is, in many ways, Gandhiji’s talisman in action. The right of every citizen, and our role as judges, lawyers and officers of the court, is to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society. Very often, we take pride in the number of merit cases we help resolve, but what truly matters is what it means to those who receive free legal aid.

It brings to my mind a very touching memory of NALSA. I, along with my colleagues, visited a relief camp in the state of Manipur to distribute aid. A young boy came up and said, “Bane raho, bhaiya.” That moment was a reminder that the strength of the legal services movement does not lie in statistics or annual reports. It lies in the quiet gratitude and renewed faith of citizens who were once invisible.

In other words, the real measure of success is not in the numbers but in the trust of the common person and in their belief that someone, somewhere, will stand by them. That is why our work must always be guided by the spirit that we are changing lives. Even your presence for a single day in a village, or your conversation with a person in distress, can be life changing for someone who has never had anyone come for them before.

I want to take this opportunity to salute the foot soldiers of the legal aid movement, our paralegal volunteers and panel lawyers. Without their tireless efforts, our vision of justice for all would never truly reach the ground.

@arjunrammeghwal @PMOIndia CJI BR Gavai presents a token of appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi @PMOIndia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
I extend my greetings to the members of the judiciary and the Legal Services Authorities. Justice becomes truly accessible and timely only when it reaches every individual without regard to their social or economic background. That is when the foundation of social justice is truly strengthened.

Legal aid plays a crucial role in ensuring that justice is accessible to all. From the national level down to the taluka level, the Legal Services Authorities serve as a bridge between the judiciary and the common citizen. I take great satisfaction in this.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
Through settlement mechanisms, millions of disputes have been resolved quickly and amicably. Under the Legal Defense Counsel System launched by the Government of India, nearly eight lakh criminal cases have been disposed of within just three years.

These efforts by the government have ensured ease of justice for the poor, the Dalits, and the underprivileged sections of society. Over the past eleven years, our focus has consistently remained on strengthening the ease of doing business and the ease of living, and we have continued to take concrete steps in this direction.

More than 40,000 unnecessary compliances for businesses have been eliminated. Through the Jan Vishwas Act, over 3,400 legal provisions have been decriminalised, and more than 1,500 obsolete and outdated laws have been repealed.

Old laws that had persisted for decades have now been replaced by the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. As I have said before, ease of doing business and ease of living are only possible when ease of justice is also ensured.

In recent years, several initiatives have been taken to promote ease of justice, and we will move forward in this direction with even greater momentum.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
This year marks 30 years of the National Legal Services Authority. Over these three decades, NALSA has made a significant effort to connect the judiciary with the country’s poor citizens. Those who approach the Legal Services Authorities often lack resources, representation, and at times even hope. Giving them hope and assistance is the true meaning of the word service, and this spirit is present in NALSA’s very name.

I am confident that every member of this institution will continue their work with dedication and professionalism. Today, we are launching NALSA’s Community Mediation Training Module. Through this initiative, we are reviving India’s ancient tradition of resolving disputes through dialogue and mutual consent. From gram panchayats to village elders, mediation has always been a part of our civilisation.

The new Mediation Act is taking this tradition forward and giving it a modern form. I believe that this training module will help develop community resources that promote harmony, resolve disputes, and reduce litigation.

Technology is certainly a disruptive force, but when it is people-focused, it becomes a power for democratisation. We have seen how UPI has brought a revolution in digital payments. Today even the smallest vendors have become part of the digital economy. Villages have been connected through lakhs of kilometres of optic fibre, and just a few weeks ago, nearly one lakh mobile towers were inaugurated simultaneously across rural areas.

@PMOIndia

PM Modi: There is another aspect of justice that I often discuss ... the language of justice should be one that is understood by the people seeking it. It is crucial to keep this in mind while drafting laws. When people understand the law in their own language, compliance increases and litigation decreases. It is equally important that judgments and legal documents are made available in local languages.

It is truly commendable that the Supreme Court has undertaken the initiative to translate over 80,000 judgments into 18 Indian languages. I am confident that this effort will continue at the level of High Courts and District Courts as well.

As we move forward on the path of a developed India, I urge members of the legal profession, the judiciary, and all those associated with it to envision what our justice delivery system should look like when we call ourselves a developed nation. Together, we must move forward in that direction. @PMOIndia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
Today, technology has become a means of inclusion and empowerment. In the justice delivery system, e-Courts stand as a remarkable example of this transformation. They demonstrate how technology can make the judicial process both modern and humane.

From e-filing to electronic service of summons, from virtual hearings to video conferencing, technology has simplified everything. The path to securing justice has become easier. It is well known that the budget for the third phase of this project has been increased to over ₹7,000 crore, reflecting the government’s strong commitment to the initiative.

We all know the importance of legal awareness. A poor person cannot attain justice unless they know their rights, understand the law, and overcome their fear of the system’s complexity. That is why spreading legal awareness among the weaker sections, women, and the elderly is our priority. Our courts and all of you will continue to make sustained efforts in this direction.

I believe that our youth, especially law students, can play a transformative role in this endeavour. If young people are encouraged to connect with the poor and those living in rural areas, helping them understand their legal rights and processes, they will gain a real sense of the pulse of society.

By working with self-help groups, cooperatives, Panchayati Raj institutions, and other grassroots bodies, we can take legal knowledge to every doorstep.

Justice Vikram Nath:
I would like to recall the words of Helen Keller, an American author and disability rights activist: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”

I wish to acknowledge the dedication of the officers and staff of NALSA, the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, the organising team, and all the participants and partners who have worked tirelessly to make this event a success.

The short film we witnessed today stands as a testament to their commitment and to the transformative work being carried out at the grassroots level.

On this Legal Services Day, let us renew our commitment to the constitutional promise of equal justice for all.