India, Aug. 9 -- Dialogue, dignity and inclusion are essential for effective access to justice, and a true legal aid means "people spoken to and not merely spoken at", Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after a programme here, he also stated that the backlog of cases in the country has decreased significantly over the last decade.

Addressing the Western Zone Regional Conference of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), he said that the objective of legal aid is not merely to dispose of cases, but also to ensure respectful treatment of individuals. Access to justice begins with dialogue, the CJI said, stressing that appropriate legal solutions should be provided to people based on their spec...