In a significant move to bolster legal aid for prisoners, Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant, who also chairs the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), held a virtual meeting on Tuesday with the chairpersons of state legal services authorities and high court legal services committees. This meeting was a follow-up to a campaign initiated in January 2025 aimed at identifying prisoners requiring legal assistance.
During the campaign, legal teams visited jails across all states, working closely with directors general or inspectors general and high court committees to pinpoint inmates who might benefit from legal support. Specifically, the campaign focused on inmates whose criminal appeals were dismissed by high courts, who had served over half their sentenced terms, whose bail requests were denied, or who were ineligible for remission.
Justice Kant outlined the campaign’s achievements, noting that over 4,200 prisoners had been identified as needing legal aid to file Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) in the Supreme Court. These individuals expressed their willingness to receive legal services offered by the SCLSC as part of this initiative.
During the meeting, Justice Kant urged the legal services authorities to expedite the process of sending necessary documents, including paper books and certified copies of relevant orders or judgments, to the SCLSC. This would enable timely filing of appeals or SLPs. He emphasized the importance of making this a regular activity rather than a one-time effort, ensuring ongoing support for inmates requiring legal assistance.
Justice Kant also shared his vision for a more robust system where prisoners are immediately informed of their rights to legal services upon incarceration. He proposed that legal services should be made available to inmates from their first day in jail, ensuring they are fully aware of how to access these services through the appropriate legal institutions.
