Archive · 5 Oct 2026
CJI Surya Kant Says Law Must Be Understood by People
Chief Justice Surya Kant spoke about how courts should treat people.
He said laws should be easy for the people they govern to understand.
He explained that judges should consider the human experiences behind each case.
That does not mean deciding cases based only on sympathy.
He said people who are often unheard, such as survivors and families of people awaiting trial, also deserve consideration.
Court procedures should not make it harder for people to get justice.
He called for legal help at police stations and safer ways for children and survivors to give evidence.
He also said court decisions should be written in language people can read.
Justice Vikram Nath added that technology can help courts work faster but cannot replace human judgment.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said law must be understandable to the people it governs and responsive to their needs.
He described compassion in judging as recognizing the human circumstances behind a case, while warning that compassion without reason can become arbitrary.
He urged attention to people whose experiences may be overlooked, including survivors of gender-based violence, undertrial prisoners’ families and people with disabilities.
Surya Kant said courtroom procedures can themselves cause hardship, citing survivors required to relive trauma and litigants unable to follow proceedings.
Justice Vikram Nath said technology can improve efficiency but cannot replace empathy or ensure fairness; Attorney General R. Venkataramani also spoke.
- Who
- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant spoke; Justice Vikram Nath and Attorney General R. Venkataramani also addressed the event.
- What
- The speakers discussed compassion, accessibility and fairness in the justice system.
- When
- Monday, October 5; the report does not specify a year.
- Where
- New Delhi.
- Why
- The remarks were made at the second Prof. (Dr) N R Madhava Menon Memorial Lecture.
- Event
- Second Prof. (Dr) N R Madhava Menon Memorial Lecture
- Location
- New Delhi
- Date
- Monday, October 5; year not specified
- CJI's central message
- Law should be understood by the people it governs and should understand them in return.
- Suggested measures
- Legal aid at police stations, protected testimony spaces for children and survivors, and judgments written in readable language.
- Technology
- Justice Vikram Nath said technology can improve efficiency but cannot replace empathy, human judgment or lived experience.