Justice Surya Kant of the Supreme Court of India delivered an insightful presentation at the RC Lahoti Memorial Lecture during Manav Rachna University’s School of Law event to emphasize that technology functions as an instrument which does not replace human involvement in justice delivery systems. His address, titled “Bridging The Gap: Reimagining Legal Aid In The Digital Age For Inclusive Justice In India,” integrated both practical legal concepts with deep human understanding, highlighting the crucial Human Touch in Digital Legal Aid Era.
The current transformation of the legal field through artificial intelligence, automation, and digital platforms does not diminish the essential role of human intervention, according to Justice Kant. The digital transformation presents an opportunity to reach distant areas for legal aid, but Justice Kant cautions against transforming human contact into digital statistics. “Legal aid,” he told the listeners, “cannot become a factory of canned responses.”
Empathy as the Core of Legal Aid
Justice Kant presented his speech to emphasize that empathy should stand as the fundamental foundation for all justice systems. Through legal aid, the system provides information while simultaneously delivering emotional support to domestic violence survivors and widows who need guidance and empowerment.
“Automated systems are efficient,” he said, “but they cannot replace the human touch. There must always be a human fallback—someone to listen, explain, and reassure. Justice must still listen.”
Glimpses of Hope: Tech-Enabled Legal Interventions
Justice Kant presented several inspiring examples which demonstrated how technology has been utilized for meaningful purposes:
Paralegal workers in remote villages of Assam use mobile phones to document domestic violence survivor testimonies before connecting them to immediate pro bono legal counsel. During the pandemic Virtual Lok Adalats in Maharashtra processed thousands of cases which enabled workers to obtain unpaid wages directly from their homes. The legal aid chatbot system in Tamil Nadu provides assistance to people regarding their land rights and tenancy matters.Volunteer lawyers in Rajasthan provide both legal counsel and emotional support through their tele-counselling services.
He called these stories “beacons lighting the future road map,” but cautioned that innovation without inclusivity will not suffice.
Challenges of the Digital Divide
Justice Kant recognized technology’s transformative potential but focused on the severe digital divide that exists in India. The success of digital legal aid programs depends on eliminating technological illiteracy among the population according to his statement. The digital literacy programs should focus on women and senior citizens and persons with disabilities as well as rural youth according to his recommendations.
Privacy, Accessibility, and Ethics: Non-Negotiables
Justice Kant provided a powerful statement about technology which stated that tools do not have neutrality in their operation. Tools perform functions based on the values which people embed within them. Legal services digitalisation must satisfy three essential requirements:
- Privacy: Legal aid platforms must comply with stringent data protection and confidentiality standards.
- Accessibility: Design platforms to actively include users with disabilities and those with limited tech proficiency.
- Ethics and Accountability: AI algorithms must be designed not to reinforce, but to flag and address systemic biases. Compassion, not just efficiency, must drive their design.
The unchecked development of technology poses the risk of transforming it into an additional obstacle that prevents the vulnerable from accessing help.
Call for Legal-Tech Innovation & Collaboration
Justice Kant made an urgent plea to law schools together with legal professionals and technology enterprises for joint development of a new justice system. He envisioned law schools as laboratories of activity where students would create and test digital tools during their legal aid and pro bono work.The justice delivery system needs to integrate startups developing AI legal research software and voice transcription technology and community outreach platforms.
A Vision for Inclusive Justice
Justice Kant concluded his speech by delivering an inspiring message which directed all involved parties to commit themselves to:
Every Panchayat should have uninterrupted digital legal services that all residents can reach.
The system should provide straightforward legal support through phone calls which must be available to all women regardless of their social background or geographical location.
Every prisoner deserves both speedy and equitable hearings that treat them with respect.
The justice system must create a framework where every citizen from cities to villages understands and reaches the legal framework.
Justice continues to be an action performed by humans. The delivery of justice depends on moral values instead of internet speed. The law achieves its greatness through service and compassion rather than authority and rigidity.
Conclusion
In his speech Justice Surya Kant outlines a clear path together with ethical guidance which directs India toward achieving inclusive digital justice. The use of technology for legal aid access requires us to remember that technology assists justice delivery but human beings remain essential for its actual execution.