Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant delivered an insightful memorial lecture, commemorating Justice R.C. Lahoti’s legacy of judicial excellence, constitutional values, and service to the cause of justice. Justice Lahoti’s reforms in judicial ethics, alternative dispute resolution, and digital transformation of the judiciary were highlighted as pivotal in shaping modern legal aid in India.

 

Justice Lahoti’s Legacy

Justice Lahoti was remembered as a visionary and philosopher-judge whose initiatives include:

• Mainstreaming Mediation: Establishment of the Supreme Court’s Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC).
• Digital Judiciary: Foundation of the Supreme Court’s e-Committee, leading to the nationwide e-Courts Project for transparency and access to justice.

 

The Justice Gap in India

Despite constitutional mandates, vast sections—rural citizens, the poor, women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities—continue to face barriers to justice, increasingly exacerbated by digital exclusion.

 

The Digital Opportunity

Justice Surya Kant emphasized India’s digital revolution as a turning point. With widespread mobile and internet access, technology can democratize legal aid, break geographic and linguistic barriers, and bring legal empowerment to every citizen—if inclusively designed and implemented.

 

Reimagining Legal Aid: A Roadmap

Justice Surya Kant set forth a visionary blueprint:

• Digital and Multilingual Legal Aid: Mobile apps and AI-powered tools in all Indian languages for legal awareness and guidance.
• Tele-law & Virtual Legal Aid: Institutionalized tele-law services, remote consultations, and virtual Lok Adalats to reach the last mile.
• AI & Automation: Use of AI chatbots, document simplification, and VR tools to educate and empower marginalized groups.
• Community & Volunteer Engagement: Crowdsourcing legal support from law students, advocates, and paralegals to create a broad-based justice movement.
• Ethics, Privacy & Inclusion: Prioritizing digital literacy, robust data security, universal accessibility, and maintaining the human touch in legal aid.

 

Collaboration for Impact

He called for systemic collaboration: government, judiciary, law schools, legal-tech innovators, NGOs, and civil society must converge for holistic and sustainable justice reforms. Ongoing digital justice initiatives should be expanded and adapted with inclusivity at their core.

 

The Road Ahead

Justice Surya Kant concluded by envisioning a justice system where technology serves as an enabler of empathy and access—never a replacement for compassion. True digital legal aid must make every citizen confident in accessing and asserting their rights, thus fulfilling the constitutional promise and Justice Lahoti’s living legacy.

 

Watch the full lecture here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OaCqi_9Ufk