Justice Surya Kant, Supreme Court Judge and Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), is actively overseeing a national legal aid campaign to support prisoners requiring legal assistance for filing appeals or Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) before the Supreme Court. In a recent virtual meeting, he interacted with the Chairpersons of State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) and High Court Legal Services Committees (HCLSCs) to assess the progress of the initiative.

This campaign, launched in January 2025, is a collaborative effort between the SCLSC, SLSAs, HCLSCs, and Directors

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General/Inspectors General of Prisons across all states. Its primary objective is to ensure that prisoners who lack legal representation receive timely legal aid. The focus is on three key groups:

• Prisoners whose criminal appeals were dismissed by the High Court.
• Inmates who have served more than half of their sentence but were denied bail by the High Court.
• Prisoners whose requests for remission were rejected even after approaching the High Court.

As a result of this initiative, more than 4,200 prisoners have been identified as requiring legal assistance to file SLPs. These individuals have expressed their willingness to seek legal aid through the SCLSC.

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"Legal Aid Should Be Available from Day One" – Justice Surya Kant

During the meeting, Justice Surya Kant emphasized the need for swift and proactive action to ensure justice for these prisoners. He directed SLSAs and HCLSCs to submit complete paper books, including certified copies of impugned judgments, to the SCLSC without delay.

Highlighting the importance of ongoing legal support, he stated,

"Legal aid should be accessible to prisoners from day one of their incarceration."

He envisioned a system where every individual entering prison is immediately informed about their right to legal services.

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Justice Surya Kant further instructed SLSAs and HCLSCs to actively monitor the campaign, ensuring that no case is left unattended. He stressed that the initiative should not be a one-time effort but a continuous process to safeguard prisoners' rights and access to justice.

He also underscored the importance of keeping legally aided prisoners informed about the progress of their cases.

"Every prisoner who is receiving legal aid must be updated on the status of their case," he added.