Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for “a need to rethink, reimagine and reform” strategies, particularly international cooperation to tackle “cross-border challenges” through a faster justice delivery system.

“In recent times, the nature and scope of crime have seen a radical change. Criminals have wide networks across various countries and regions. They use the latest technology for both funding and operations. Economic crimes in one region are being used to fund activities in other regions,” Modi said.

“The rise of cryptocurrency and cyber threats are posing new challenges. The 21st-century challenges cannot be fought with a 20th-century approach. There is a need to rethink, reimagine and reform. This includes modernising legal systems that deliver justice. This includes making our systems more flexible and adaptable,” he added.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while addressing the Commonwealth Attorney and Solicitor Generals Conference 2024, organised under the auspices of the office of attorney-general and solicitor-general of India, the ministry of law and justice, and the Commonwealth Legal Education Association.

The theme of this conference was ‘Cross-Border Challenges in Justice Delivery’ attended by attorney-generals, solicitor-generals and legal luminaries of the commonwealth countries.

“Sometimes, ensuring justice in one country requires working with other countries. When we collaborate, we can understand each other’s systems better. Greater understanding brings greater synergy. Synergy boosts better and faster justice delivery. Therefore, such platforms and conferences are important,” Modi said.

He pointed out that at present, there is mutual international cooperation in the fields of air traffic control and maritime traffic but there was a need to expand cooperation in the areas of investigations and justice delivery.

The Prime Minister told the gathering that India had a unique concept of Lok Adalat which was also called “People’s Court” as it provided a cost-effective and quick mechanism for the settlement of small cases related to public utility services.

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud in his inaugural address quoted eminent jurists Nani Palkhiwala and Soli Sorabjee to say that law officers such as the attorney-general and solicitor-general should ensure that justice to people was ensured rather than merely defending the government in the courts, apart from cautioning the executive when it went wrong.

“A crucial aspect of executive accountability rests on the ethical conduct and responsibility of law officers, who function not only as representatives of the government but also as officers of the court. Eminent jurist Nani Palkivala said, ‘The greatest glory of the attorney-general is not to win cases for the government but to ensure that justice is done to the people’,” the CJI said.