Justice not a privilege for few: Vice President

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Sunday underscored the need for accessible, affordable and timely justice for all citizens and asserted that it is a right for all and not a privilege for a select few. He also called for inclusive, technology-driven access to justice under the law ministry’s Tele-Law initiative.

Addressing a national consultation on the initiative here, Radhakrishnan highlighted recent legal reforms and said the transition to new criminal laws marks a historic shift towards a more citizen-centric justice system by simplifying procedures and improving efficiency.

He underlined the transformative role of technology in governance, citing initiatives such as Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and telemedicine, and described the Tele-Law initiative as a powerful tool to democratise legal services. He noted that pre-litigation legal advice can help resolve disputes early, reduce unnecessary litigation and ease the burden on courts.

Stressing the importance of linguistic inclusion, the vice president highlighted efforts to make the Constitution available in multiple regional languages and called for legal consultations to be provided in local languages to enhance understanding and participation. He also called for focused efforts to ensure last-mile delivery of legal services, particularly for women, rural and marginalised communities.