New Delhi, Nov. 10 -- The journey toward accessible justice is neither linear nor short, but one that demands persistence, empathy and institutional continuity, Chief Justice of India(CJI)-designate Justice Surya Kant said on Sunday, underlining that the legal services framework in India must now move beyond widening its geographic footprint to ensuring deeper, measurable impact on the lives it seeks to transform. Speaking at the valedictory session of the National Conference on "Strengthening the Legal Aid Delivery Mechanism", Justice Kant -- currently the executive chairperson of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and set to take over as the CJI on November 24 -- called for a renewed phase of "innovation, technology-driven systems, and compassionate association" to define the next decade of the legal aid movement. Justice Kant noted that while the legal services authorities had succeeded in expanding access to remote corners of the country, the challenge ahead was to strengthen and professionalise the ecosystem so that legal assistance becomes meaningful, continuous and adequately supported. "The journey toward accessible justice is not traversed on a linear path; the road is long and winding. National Legal Services Authority's future lies not merely in expanding its reach, but in deepening its impact - through innovation, technology and empathetic association," he said. Justice Kant also emphasised the importance of Permanent Lok Adalats in promoting swift and amicable dispute resolution outside adversarial courtrooms....