New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai gave the message of "Justice for All" as he flagged off and led a 4-km walkathon organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) here on Sunday. 

"All institutions of the democracy – the executive, legislature, and judiciary – exist for the citizens; therefore, justice for all should be our motto," CJI Gavai told reporters as he joined the walkathon in sports gear, amid tight security.

The event featured 4 km and 8 km runs and a 4 km walk in which CJI also participated along with other Supreme Court judges, including Justices Sanjay Karol, Vikram Nath, JK Maheshwari, and lawyers, said a representative of the SCBA.

On Saturday, CJI Gavai described legal aid as an act of nation-building. "An act of legal aid is an act of nation building,” he said at the National Conference on Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms.

The CJI said that the legal aid movement is aimed at realising the dream of Dr B.R. Ambedkar to transform lives.

"The aim of the legal aid movement is to give voice and dignity to those unheard," he said, adding that Dr Ambedkar had said that our struggle is not for wealth or freedom but to transform lives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also echoed the sentiment, saying: "Under the Legal Aid Defence Counsel System (LADCS) launched by the Government of India, in just three years, around 8 lakh criminal cases have been settled. These efforts of the government have ensured ease of justice to the poor, Dalits, oppressed, exploited and deprived people of the country."

The LADCS is a comprehensive scheme that provides free and qualitative legal representation to eligible individuals in criminal matters from the pre-arrest stage through trial and appeals.

Established to ensure access to justice for the poor, it places full-time, dedicated defence counsel in district headquarters to handle all aspects of legal aid in criminal cases, acting as a clinic-like environment for the needy.