The Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), led by Justice Surya Kant, has launched a groundbreaking legal aid campaign to help prison inmates across India. This initiative, started on January 10, 2025, is in collaboration with all State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) and Prison Departments. The main objective is to provide legal assistance to inmates who, despite having valid legal remedies in the Supreme Court of India, were left without representation.

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Justice Surya Kant emphasized the need for targeted intervention for specific groups of inmates. These include those whose convictions were upheld but no appeal was filed, those denied bail despite serving half or more of their sentence, and those whose requests for remission or premature release were rejected without being challenged in the Supreme Court.

"Justice must be accessible to all, especially the most vulnerable. No inmate should be left without legal aid if they are eligible," stated Justice Surya Kant.

To ensure the success of this campaign, the SCLSC, along with SLSAs, High Court Legal Services Committees (HCLSCs), and prison authorities, conducted extensive coordination. Initially, 4,216 eligible inmates were identified. On April 01, 2025, Justice Surya Kant chaired a national-level virtual meeting with the Chairpersons of HCLSCs and SLSAs, urging them to form special committees to visit prisons and guide inmates about the campaign.

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This proactive approach led to remarkable results, with nearly 3,800 inmates officially requesting legal aid from SCLSC by May 05, 2025.

A review meeting on May 05, 2025, involving Chief Justices of High Courts and Chairpersons of HCLSCs and SLSAs, saw Justice Surya Kant stressing the need for speedy submission of pending paper books. To prevent delays, it was directed that all hard copies be sent through Special Messengers, even on weekends and holidays.

HCLSCs were also instructed to appoint district-level Nodal Officers for better coordination with SCLSC. These officers ensure defect rectification, clarify doubts, and maintain smooth follow-up.

Although a small number of inmates declined legal aid due to reasons like upcoming release, private counsel engagement, or hope for remission on Independence Day or Republic Day, the campaign received an overwhelmingly positive response.

By May 13, 2025, SCLSC had received nearly 1,000 paper books from various States and Union Territories. In nearly 600 cases, panel advocates were appointed, and 285 matters were formally filed.

"This is the largest and most organized legal aid campaign ever initiated by SCLSC," highlighted Justice Surya Kant.

This historic initiative has transformed the legal aid landscape in India, ensuring that even the most marginalized inmates have access to justice.