Justice Surya Kant Monitors Campaign To Identify Prisoners In Need Of Legal Aid To Approach Supreme Court

Justice Surya Kant, Supreme Court Judge and Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), interacted with the Chairpersons of State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) and High Court Legal Services Committees (HCLSCs) across India in a virtual meeting today. The discussion was a follow-up to the legal aid campaign launched in January 2025 to identify prisoners in need of legal assistance for filing appeals or Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) before the Supreme Court.

The campaign, conducted in collaboration with Directors General/Inspectors General of Prisons and High Court Legal Services Committees across all states, aimed to assist:

• Prisoners whose criminal appeals were dismissed by the High Court.
• Those who have served more than half of their sentence and whose bail pleas have been rejected by the High Court.
• Inmates denied remission, even after challenging the decision before the High Court.

As a result of this initiative, over 4,200 prisoners have been identified as requiring legal aid for filing SLPs and have expressed willingness to avail legal assistance through the SCLSC.

During the meeting, Justice Surya Kant emphasized the need for swift action, directing SLSAs and HCLSCs to submit paper books, including certified copies of impugned judgments, to the SCLSC without delay. He underscored that such efforts should not be a one-time exercise but must be conducted regularly to ensure that inmates in need receive timely legal aid.

He further stressed the importance of keeping legally aided prisoners informed about the progress of their cases and envisioned a system where every individual entering jail is immediately made aware of their right to legal services. "Legal aid should be accessible to prisoners from day one of their incarceration," he asserted.

The SCLSC Chairman urged the SLSAs and HCLSCs to actively monitor the campaign until all necessary documents for the identified prisoners are submitted, ensuring no case is left unattended.