Empowering Citizens: NALSA's Silent Legal Revolution

Justice BR Gavai emphasized the importance of citizens knowing their rights as a key step toward justice. Celebrating three decades of NALSA's existence, Justice Gavai highlighted their efforts in legal empowerment and prison reform to aid the elderly and terminally ill. These initiatives enhance access to justice.

Justice BR Gavai of the Supreme Court stressed the necessity for citizens to be aware of their constitutional and statutory rights, stating that without this knowledge, enforcement remains elusive. Celebrating NALSA's three decades, he praised its outreach efforts to the country's remotest areas, aligning with Article 39(A)'s promise of equal justice.

NALSA, under Justice Gavai's chairmanship, is committed to innovating legal aid, notably through special provisions for the elderly and terminally ill prisoners. This initiative is coupled with a PIL filed in the Supreme Court aiming at the early release of aged and terminally ill undertrials, easing prison overcrowding.

The justice remarked on NALSA's paradigm shift from viewing justice as charity to recognizing it as a legal right. The organization continues to involve law students to embed these values early. Justice Surya Kant echoed these sentiments, adding that the true fairness of a nation is measured by the justice experienced by its most vulnerable citizens.

(With inputs from agencies.)