Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai on Sunday delivered a powerful message, legal aid is not charity, but a moral duty rooted in governance and justice.
Calling for a shift from short-term fixes to long-term institutional vision, he urged those in the legal aid system to approach their work with what he termed “administrative imagination.”
Speaking at the valedictory function of the national conference on Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms and Legal Services Day, the CJI said that the rule of law must reach every corner of the country.
“At the same time, those engaged in the legal aid movement, whether officers, administrators, or volunteers, must approach their role with an administrative imagination. Legal aid is not merely an act of charity but a moral duty. It is an exercise in governance, in ensuring that the rule of law extends to every corner of our country,” he said.
Gavai proposed the creation of an advisory committee within both the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs), comprising current and future executive chairpersons to ensure policy continuity.
“They must think like administrators of justice, planning, coordinating, and innovating to make sure that every rupee spent, every visit made, and every intervention carried out truly uplifts someone in need,” he said.
He said that the frequent change in leadership often disrupts progress. “Currently, priorities are often determined by the tenure of individual executive chairpersons, each of whom has a limited timeframe to implement initiatives,” he said.
To break this pattern, he suggested a structural mechanism for continuity.
“To address this, I suggest the creation of an advisory committee at NALSA and SLSAs, respectively, comprising the current executive chairpersons and two or three future or incoming executive chairpersons. This committee could meet quarterly or every six months to discuss and oversee projects with a long-term perspective,” he said.
The event, marking NALSA’s 30th anniversary, was attended by CJI-designate Justice Surya Kant, Justice Vikram Nath, and other senior judges.
Gavai, who will retire on November 23, reflected on his time as NALSA’s executive chairman and the collaborative spirit that guided his tenure.
“When I was the executive chairman of NALSA, my colleagues Justice Surya Kant and Justice Vikram Nath worked together, travelled together in different parts of the country,” he said, adding that the same sense of collective responsibility must continue.
“Such an arrangement would help institutionalise vision-based planning and ensure that key programmes, whether related to access to justice, awareness, or digital transformation, are carried forward consistently, regardless of administrative changes. It would also promote a collaborative culture among legal services authorities, allowing for collective decision-making and shared accountability,” he said.
The CJI said the mission of securing justice for every citizen cannot depend on individual tenures or administrative boundaries.
“Before I demit my office in two weeks, I would like to leave a message for all the judicial officers who come on deputation to the legal services authorities. Judicial training often teaches us to maintain a certain distance, to weigh evidence dispassionately, and to apply reasoned judgment. But the work of legal aid demands the opposite sensibility: it requires empathy, collaboration, and the ability to see beyond procedure into the conditions that produce injustice,” he said.
Gavai reminded officers that their role in legal aid institutions is not limited to adjudication.
“When serving in legal service institutions, our role is not to adjudicate but to connect, to coordinate with officials from government departments, to build partnerships with civil society organisations, and to reach out to citizens with compassion and clarity,” he said.
He acknowledged the cooperation of government officials in promoting legal aid and urged greater respect for volunteers and legal aid counsel.
“In conclusion, I would like to say that the past three decades have shown that when compassion meets commitment, and when law meets human experience, real transformation becomes possible. Yet, this journey is far from complete. Every citizen who still feels unheard or unrepresented reminds us of the distance we must still travel,” he said.
“The task, therefore, is not only to sustain what has been built but to envision what more can be done. The legal aid movement stands as one of the finest expressions of our Constitution’s soul, as a bridge between the letter of law and the lived realities of people,” he added.