CJI Surya Kant spoke at the second Prof. N R Madhava Menon Memorial Lecture on Monday in New Delhi, declaring law’s first duty is to be understood by the people it governs.
He said compassion in judging is not sympathy or charity but a discipline of seeing the whole human situation behind each case—an approach that guards against caprice and rigid procedure.
Kant urged the judiciary to set up legal‑aid centres at police stations, create safe testimonial spaces for survivors of gender‑based violence, and draft judgments in plain language that litigants can read.
Justice Vikram Nath, executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority, warned that technology can speed the process but cannot replace empathy, human judgment or a judge’s lived experience.
Attorney General R Venkataramani also spoke, underscoring the need for judicial reforms that balance efficiency and fairness.