In a historic first, the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, on March 30 addressed Army personnel at the Leh military camp in Ladakh, emphasising that access to justice must reach soldiers stationed in remote and operationally sensitive areas, reported Live Law.
Underscoring the judiciary’s commitment to defence personnel and their families, the CJI said that “the law must travel to the soldier, because the soldier cannot always travel to the law.” This marks the first time a sitting Chief Justice of India has delivered an address to armed forces personnel from the Leh base camp.
Personal challenges
CJI Surya Kant stressed that soldiers often face legal and personal challenges while serving in distant and inhospitable terrains, making physical access to courts and legal services difficult. He observed that while a civilian in a city may know where courts and lawyers are located, a soldier posted in a high-altitude region cannot simply leave duty to pursue litigation or manage disputes back home.
Framing the issue as a constitutional obligation rather than a matter of benevolence, he referred to Article 39A of the Constitution, stating that legal aid is not charity but a commitment to ensure that access to justice does not depend on wealth, geography, or social position.
Highlighting institutional measures taken to address this concern, the CJI spoke about the Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana, a scheme launched last year during his tenure as Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority to provide free legal aid, assistance and support services to serving defence personnel, exservicemen, their dependent family members, and members of paramilitary forces.
Providing details on the scheme’s progress, the Chief Justice stated that as of December 31, 2025, nearly 14,929 beneficiaries had been assisted under the programme. The CJI interacted with officers and jawans of Fire and Fury Corps at Raina Auditorium, Leh. He also inaugurated the newly constructed District Court Complex at Melong Thang, Leh.
