SRINAGAR — Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday said the use of digital platforms has transformed justice delivery by bringing legal services closer to citizens.
Addressing a regional event-cum-workshop under the Tele-Law Initiative of the DISHA (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice) scheme here, Meghwal said seeking justice is every citizen’s constitutional right and that technology is helping bridge gaps in access to legal services.
He said initiatives such as Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu and legal literacy programmes are helping realise Dr B R Ambedkar’s vision of social and economic justice, adding that these efforts must ensure justice reaches people in villages, mountainous regions and remote areas alike.
The minister also referred to the Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana 2025 and shared an account of a soldier’s family to underline the importance of strong legal support systems. He encouraged holding smaller, focused workshops to expand the network of pro bono lawyers and interacted with village-level entrepreneurs, advocates and students during the programme.
Expressing confidence in collective efforts, Meghwal said Jammu and Kashmir could emerge as a model region for access to justice through strengthened implementation of the Tele-Law programme.
The workshop was organised as part of the department’s efforts to enhance technology-enabled legal services and foster deliberations among stakeholders, CSCSs, Law schools, including judicial officers, advocates, administrators, field functionaries, students and civil society representatives.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appreciated the Department of Justice for strengthening legal awareness and access to justice in Jammu and Kashmir through effective use of technology.
Emphasising that “justice delayed is justice denied”, Abdullah highlighted the growing pendency in courts and stressed the need to reduce unnecessary litigation through timely disposal of cases, prevention of avoidable disputes and promotion of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
He said initiatives like Tele-Law, which have reached over 7.5 lakh beneficiaries across nearly 4,000 panchayats, play a key role in resolving issues at the pre-litigation stage, adding that continued collaboration and adoption of best practices would further strengthen access to justice and help ease the burden on courts. — (PTI)