Chief Justice Calls For Global South Tie-Ups To Expand Access To Justice

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud was addressing the first Regional Conference on Access to Legal Aid in Delhi

Listing the barriers in the way of equal access to justice, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has called for a collaboration between legal systems of various countries in the Global South as a step towards taking justice to everyone.

He was addressing the first Regional Conference on Access to Legal Aid. The two-day conference in New Delhi began today with the goal to address challenges in ensuring quality legal aid in countries of the Global South. The meet has been organised by National Legal Services Authority, International Legal Foundation, UN Development Programme and UNICEF.

The Chief Justice began his address by thanking the organisers. "The discourse about human rights and access to justice has been historically monopolised by voices from the Global North, which often makes such dialogue unsuitable for application in other contexts. Undeniably, it is imperative to amplify the justice needs of under-represented populations in our respective countries. I am certain that this conference will serve as a meaningful point of departure for engagement between India and the 69 other participating countries, with whom we share a close bond," he said.