Make delivery of justice affordable to all: president

New Delhi, Nov 24 The concept of social and economic justice may not mean much to the poor, President Pratibha Patil said Saturday, calling for making the delivery of justice affordable to all.

"There are a large number of people living below the poverty line in the country," said Patil and asked, "What does social and economic justice mean to them?"

Patil made the remark while addressing a gathering of international legal luminaries and jurists on the occasion of National Law Day function. Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan also attended the gathering.

"In a country with the size and magnitude of India, there remain many challenges in providing social justice as well as justice to the marginalized sections of the society," Patil said.

"High cost of judicial remedy is a cause of concern that needs rectification."

Towards that end, the president exhorted lawyers and jurists "to contribute to helping the needy who knock on the door of justice".

"Alternative dispute settlement systems need to be encouraged," she added.

She also wanted the courts "to make legal procedures as simple as possible to help common citizens gain access to it".

The president noted the existence of an institutional mechanism for providing legal help to the poor, but she said the quality of free legal aid is not up to the mark.

"Even though free legal aid is guaranteed for the weaker section of the society, it should be remembered that the quality of legal aid plays a very important role," the president observed.

Patil expressed concern at the inordinate delay in adjudicates of cases by the judiciary and said: "Sometimes justice delayed can become justice denied, and hence the need to ensure speedier disposal of cases.

"Justice should not only be done but it must also be seen to be done," she said.

Chief Justice Balakrishnan dwelt upon the intrinsic quality of the Indian constitution that he said had helped India weather many crises without affecting its rule of law and its vibrant democratic system of governance.

He said that after winning freedom from colonial rule, many countries had started out as a democracy, but they were not able to sustain that form of governance because they did not have a fine constitution like India's to support them in the hour of crisis