Digital Court Modernisation Fails to Reach Marginalized Communities Due to Digital Gap, Says Justice Surya Kant
The Supreme Court of India is actively working to bridge the digital divide and ensure that legal aid reaches marginalized communities. This movement is driven by the emphasis on digital access as a fundamental right and the promotion of inclusive digital solutions as essential to equality and justice.
Justice Surya Kant has highlighted that technology can break geographical and social barriers, bringing legal aid directly to the doorstep or even the mobile devices of marginalized citizens. This would expand access to justice across India, particularly for rural populations, women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
The Court is supporting ongoing digital initiatives such as Digitally Accessible India and the e-Courts Mission Mode Project. These projects aim to use technology inclusively to overcome obstacles like lack of awareness, physical mobility, and social stigma that hinder legal aid access.
Justice Kant has stressed that digital solutions must not only exist but must be designed ethically and inclusively to truly empower disadvantaged citizens. This approach is grounded in constitutional mandates, including Article 21, which the Court has interpreted to include digital access as part of the right to life and personal liberty, and Article 39A, which guarantees free legal aid to ensure no citizen is denied justice due to economic or other disabilities.
The Court sees bridging the digital divide not just as a technical challenge but as a fundamental part of fulfilling constitutional justice obligations for marginalized communities. In this context, the digital divide has become the new face of inequality in the context of legal aid.
During the event, former Chief Justice of India UU Lalit was also in attendance. He noted that if there was one Karmayogi in the Supreme Court during his time, it was Justice RC Lalit.
However, it is important to note that despite India being among few nations that mandate legal aid, the stark truth is that disabled, women, and children still encounter issues while accessing legal aid. This underscores the need for continued efforts to ensure that digital solutions are designed and implemented in a way that is accessible and inclusive for all.
Justice delayed is justice denied, but in the digital age, justice undelivered due to inaccessibility or exclusion is worse. Therefore, the judiciary must keep updating itself, as stressed by Justice Kant, to ensure that legal aid moves beyond procedural representation and becomes a tool for empowerment, rooted in accessibility, language, and dignity.
Technology is only a tool, and the heart of it must remain human. Justice Kant warned against depersonalized systems and emphasized that legal aid cannot become canned responses and be reduced to ticket numbers. The role of government cannot be avoided in ground-level justice reforms, and the Court has underscored the need for it to play an active role in ensuring that digital transformation does not widen the gap between people and the law, especially for marginalized groups.
Justice is only justice if it is accessible and visible and rooted in human dignity. The Supreme Court of India is committed to ensuring this vision becomes a reality for all citizens.
[1] Article 21 of the Indian Constitution [2] Article 39A of the Indian Constitution [3] Digitally Accessible India [4] e-Courts Mission Mode Project
Sports can be an avenue to break social barriers and provide a sense of empowerment to marginalized communities, as technology can. This idea is rooted in the same principles of accessibility, inclusivity, and equal opportunities that drive digital initiatives in legal aid.
Justice Kant's emphasis on the ethical and inclusive design of digital solutions for legal aid applies equally to sports technology, ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their circumstances, can benefit from the empowering potential of both legal aid and sports. [1] [2] [3] [4]
