Technology can bring legal aid to doorstep: SC judge
Speaking at the Justice RC Lahoti Memorial Lecture in Manav Rachna University, Faridabad, on 'Bridging the Gap: Reimagining Legal Aid in the Digital Age for Inclusive Justice in India', Justice Kant said: 'With the right vision and safeguards, technology can break geographical barriers, democratise legal awareness, and bring legal aid to the doorstep — or rather the palm of every citizen. If harnessed thoughtfully and inclusively, it can bridge the persistent gaps in our justice system.'
He said that though the country has made big technological strides, 'yet, access to justice remains largely analogue.' 'Courts are online, laws are also digitised, but quality legal aid has yet to trickle down to the last person in line. The digital divide has become the new face of inequality,' Justice Kant said.
Emphasising the need 'to address the challenges faced by linguistic and cultural minorities,' Justice Kant said that 'digital platforms must not only be multilingual but also culturally nuanced' and 'when citizens see their own stories, customs, and worldviews reflected in legal education content, barriers of alienation and mistrust crumble, making way for genuine engagement and confidence in the system.'
Justice Kant called for holding virtual Lok Adalats by harnessing secure video platforms but cautioned that 'the excitement of technology must be tempered with restraint. The digital divide is very real.'
'No technology is neutral. The tools we build reflect the values we embed in them. As we digitise legal aid, we must design systems with built-in ethics. Privacy must be paramount…' he said.
Justice Kant said, 'artificial intelligence algorithms must be designed to flag, not exacerbate, the biases so entrenched in society' and that 'privacy by design, user consent, and continuous public oversight should be the hallmarks of all digital legal solutions, assuring citizens that their quest for justice does not come at the cost of their security or dignity.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Bihar MP's Wife A Voter In 2 Separate Constituencies: Report
New Delhi: A Left MP from Bihar who challenged the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in the Supreme Court has come under a cloud amid reports that his wife was registered as a voter in two separate Assembly constituencies with two distinct EPIC numbers, election office sources said on Sunday. Petitioner and Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation MP Sudama Prasad's wife, Shobha Devi, allegedly had two EPIC numbers – RGX3264140 and WVA0308544. While one of her EPIC numbers was registered in Arrah Assembly constituency with Lavarish Seva Kendra as the designated polling station, the other pertained to Agiaon constituency with Samudayik Bhavan Araila as her polling station, said sources in the Bihar election office. The fresh 'dual EPIC number' controversy comes close to the one involving Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is also allegedly possessing 'dual' Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers. Earlier, the Supreme Court, while hearing a batch of pleas challenging the electoral roll revision ahead of the Assembly elections in November, posted the matter to August 12, assuring to intervene immediately if there is 'mass exclusion' of voters in the SIR. On Saturday, Tejashwi Yadav stirred a political storm in Patna with a claim that his name was missing in Bihar's draft electoral roll. ECI sources hinted that he might be possessing 'two' EPIC numbers, with only one of them being validated in the SIR. The election office on Sunday wrote to him seeking details of his 'second' EPIC number, which, according to him, had been deleted from the voter list. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Digha Assembly constituency asked the Leader of Opposition to present the original copy of the voter ID card whose number was alleged to be missing from the draft electoral roll. 'You are requested to kindly provide the details of the EPIC card (along with the original copy of the card) mentioned by you in the press conference held on August 2, 2025, to the undersigned, so that it can be thoroughly investigated,' wrote the ERO. The letter dated August 3 said the communication was linked to Tejashwi Yadav's 'statement given in the press conference held on August 2, 2025, regarding non-inclusion of names in the draft electoral list published on the basis of eligibility date July 1, 2025'. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Thousands march in Kolhapur demanding elephant Mahadevi's return to Nandani Jain mutt
Kolhapur: Thousands of people participated in a 45km walk from Nandani in Shirol tehsil of Kolhapur district to the collector's office in Kolhapur city on Sunday to hand over a petition addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking steps to bring back elephant Mahadevi from Gujarat's Jamnagar facility to the Nandani Jain mutt. Taking cognisance of the padyatra, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis declared in Amravati that the stakeholders would be called for discussion on Tuesday. Addressing the media, Fadnavis said, "The devotees of Nandani mutt are angry, and they want the elephant's presence in the mutt or nearby. I have spoken to MP and MLAs and decided to call a meeting on Tuesday. We will try to find a legal way out. The decision to transfer the elephant to the facility was taken by the Supreme Court. State govt didn't play any role in this." Former MP Raju Shetti led the march from Nandani, and the march reached Kolhapur in the evening. The participants made full-size cardboard and statues of elephants with which they were walking. "We want the case to be filed against the officials of various departments that gave wrong reports that led to Mahadevi's transfer. We will continue our protest till we get Mahadevi back. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World Click Here Undo Also, some decisions should be taken so that no one dares to take away the elephants from other religious places," Shetti said. Meanwhile, Vantara, the top officials of which recently visited Kolhapur and met the mutt's seer, issued a public statement on Saturday on its social media handle stating that a direct dialogue has been opened with Jain mutt and the swami of the mutt. "Together, we are exploring, through legal and veterinary guidance, all possibilities for Madhuri's (Mahadevi's) future, including a peaceful resolution that prioritises both her well-being and the feelings of the community," the statement read. Hatakangangle's Shiv Sena MP Dhairyasheel Mane said there is a possibility that a high-powered committee will be set up to make legal suggestions to get Mahadevi back. He said that already the legal experts from Vantara, Peta, and Nandani's mutt are discussing the legal aspect since there is a Supreme Court order. A process to file a review petition in the SC needs to be started. "To find a middle ground, the discussions are on whether Vantara can set up a similar enclosure at Nandani, where Mahadevi and elephants from nearby can be kept, and the facilities provided in Vantara can be made available in this enclosure. We need to ensure the balance between the care of the animal and the tradition observed for centuries. Feelings of the devotees should not be hurt," said Mane. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Brazil's Lula says open to US trade talks if treated as an equal
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Brazil is open to trade talks with Donald Trump but only if his country is treated as an equal to the US, reiterating that he won't bow to political pressure from the US president. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the National Meeting of the Workers' Party at the Brasil 21 Convention Centre in Brasilia on August 3, 2025.(AFP) 'We want to negotiate. We want to negotiate on equal terms,' Lula said Sunday at an event for his leftist Workers' Party in Brasilia. 'We will support our companies, defend our workers, and say, 'Look, when you're ready to negotiate, our proposals are on the table.'' In July, Trump thrust Brazil into the center of his global trade war, threatening to impose 50% tariffs on its goods unless the Supreme Court immediately dropped a case against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing trial on charges that he attempted a coup following his 2022 election loss. The US last week delayed the tariff hike, which had been set to take effect Aug. 1, while exempting numerous products from higher levies. But it also placed sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro's legal cases and has clashed with US social media companies. Trump said Friday that Lula can call him, remarks that Brazil Finance Minister Fernando Haddad welcomed as a step forward. Haddad said he is set to speak to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about tariffs and the sanctions against Moraes soon. Even as he signaled openness to talks, the leftist leader maintained his defiant tone toward the US, saying it was 'unacceptable' to 'try to use a political issue to impose economic sanctions on us' and repeating his assertion that Trump is attempting to upend global multilateralism. Lula also said he won't give up on efforts to develop alternatives to the dollar in foreign trade — another issue that has irked Trump even as the BRICS bloc of emerging market nations, of which Brazil is a part, has made little progress on it. 'Brazil today is not as dependent on the United States as it once was,' he said. 'I won't disregard the importance of our diplomatic relationship with the US. But from now on, they need to know that we have things to negotiate. We have size, we have a stance, we have economic and political interests to bring to the table.' Lula's remarks came as Bolsonaro supporters staged marches in major cities against the government and Moraes, whom the former president has accused of politically persecuting him and his right-wing allies. Crowds gathered on major streets in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and other cities, with an additional march set to take place on Sao Paulo's main avenue in the afternoon. Bolsonaro is not participating in the marches due to restrictions Moraes placed on him last month that forbid the right-wing former leader from leaving his home at nights and on weekends.
