Indians have right to 'legal literacy', says Chief Justice

Awareness of their rights by all Indian citizens is an implicit right of the Indian Constitution, according to P Sathasivam, the Chief Justice of India.

He said, according to The Business Standard: 'In my considered view, access to legal literacy is a guaranteed right under the framework of the Constitution of India, though not an explicit right. The right to legal literacy exists as a part and parcel of the general right to rule of law and Constitutionalism. Legal literacy is the core basis for the survival of our Constitutional democracy. Our entire judicial setup functions on the presumption that all people are aware of their rights and are able to approach the concerned institution.' However, he accepted that the reality of the situation is different and that a rise in legal literacy has not accompanied an increase in the literacy level overall.