India, Dec. 14 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Sunday called for a balanced approach to judicial reforms, saying that while digital innovation can help speed up legal processes, it cannot replace the human element essential to delivering justice.

Speaking at an Orissa High Court Bar Association symposium focused on making justice accessible to ordinary citizens, CJI Kant identified litigation expenses and protracted court proceedings as the primary barriers preventing common people from seeking redress.

He described the "accumulation of unresolved cases" as a "system-wide malaise" rather than "isolated statistics". "When constitutional courts face congestion, trial courts below bear the brunt of mounting pressure," he said...