Justice must reach the last person first and legal aid plays a very important role in ensuring the same, Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant recently said.

He further highlighted that legal aid authorities in India take proactive steps to ensure justice reaches those who need it most, rather than waiting for help to be sought.

“Justice must reach the last person first. Each time a prisoner regains freedom through a legal aid petition, each time a widow receives her pension after years of neglect, and every time a child in conflict with the law is guided towards reform instead of retribution - the Constitution’s promise breathes anew,” he said.

He explained that through the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and its three-tiered network of State, District, and Taluka Legal Services Authorities, India has built one of the world’s largest and most inclusive legal aid systems.

“In India, legal aid authorities do not simply wait for pleas for help to arrive at their doorsteps. They actively identify those in need, initiate proceedings themselves, and intervene before the courts when systemic change is necessary. The purpose of this architecture is simple but vital - to ensure that no citizen is denied justice due to economic or social barriers,” the judge said.

Justice Kant was delivering the inaugural Human Rights Oration organised by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) in collaboration with the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) in Colombo.

Speaking on the theme “Strengthening a Legal Aid System to Achieve Human Rights of Marginalized and Minorities: The Indian Case Study,” he traced India’s legal philosophy from ancient principles of justice to modern institutional frameworks.

He noted that over the years, legal aid in India has evolved from a charitable idea into a structured, State-backed commitment. With more than 37 State Legal Services Authorities, 709 District Authorities and over 2,000 Taluka Committees, the system now ensures free representation, legal awareness, and dispute resolution at the grassroots.

Justice Kant also highlighted how technology has made legal aid more accessible than ever before.

“By using video conferencing and telephonic consultations, legal advice is now within reach of those who perhaps never knew how to approach the justice delivery system,” he said, noting that over six million consultations have been conducted under NALSA’s Tele-Law initiative.

He said that India’s approach to justice is rooted in its civilisational ethos. The journey from Kautilya’s treatises to NALSA’s initiatives, he said, shows that access to legal aid is not a matter of charity but a lifeline that keeps democracy alive.

India’s model stands out globally for combining institutional strength with civic participation, he stated.

“While strong institutions can deliver justice, only an engaged citizenry can sustain it. Legal aid must therefore grow simultaneously from the top down and the bottom up,” he said.

He pointed out that India’s law universities have embedded this vision into legal education through community clinics and awareness drives.

“Through these (legal aid) clinics, students assist in drafting petitions, advising citizens, and conducting awareness camps. In the process, they learn that law is not just a profession but a responsibility,”

Justice Kant also referred to the judiciary’s role in expanding the right to legal aid through landmark judgments such as Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar, which recognised the right to free legal representation and speedy trial as part of Article 21, and Suk Das v. Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh, which held that trials without legal counsel violated basic justice.

He drew global parallels, acknowledging Sri Lanka’s Legal Aid Commission, South Africa’s Legal Aid Board, and Brazil’s Defensoria Pública as comparable systems that bridge human rights ideals with practical access to justice.

In his concluding remarks, Justice Kant said that India’s experience offers not a model to copy but a vision to inspire.

“Each nation must craft its own system anchored in local realities, yet inspired by a shared conviction: that legal aid is the first line of defence against the erosion of human rights,” he said.