Deoghar (Jharkhand), Nov 2026: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday stressed that the judiciary must ensure access to legal aid for economically and socially disadvantaged people, comparing the support they need to treatment provided to patients in hospitals.
Addressing the State-Level Legal Services-cum-Empowerment Camp in Deoghar, the CJI said legal assistance should be accessible to people round-the-clock, irrespective of their circumstances.
“The time has come for India’s judiciary—at every level, from the taluka and district courts to the high courts and the Supreme Court—to understand the pain of the poor and provide a remedy, much like a patient is treated in a hospital,” Justice Kant said.
He explained that when patients arrive at hospitals, nurses and technicians reassure them that they will receive treatment. “By the time a doctor visits him, half his illness is already resolved,” he said.
Similarly, legal aid professionals and para-legal volunteers should proactively reach out to vulnerable sections of society, including poor people, senior citizens, women, children and persons with disabilities, and ensure they receive timely legal assistance.
The CJI said the justice system must be responsive to the needs of disadvantaged citizens and provide support that is accessible and effective.
On the occasion, Justice Kant virtually inaugurated legal aid clinics in Palamu and Ranchi. He also distributed benefits to beneficiaries under various government schemes at the camp.
The State-Level Legal Services-cum-Empowerment Camp aimed to connect people with legal assistance and welfare benefits, highlighting the role of legal services institutions in promoting access to justice and social empowerment.
Earlier in the day, the CJI visited Baba Baidyanath Dham temple in Deoghar, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country, and offered prayers.
