When we think of law, most of us picture courtrooms, lawyers in black coats, and thick case files stacked on wooden tables. But the truth is, justice is not confined to legal documents or verdicts. It lives in everyday decisions, in how we treat each other, and in whether our society chooses fairness over convenience.
In recent months, I’ve spoken with people from different walks of life—entrepreneurs struggling with compliance, young professionals anxious about job security, parents fighting custody battles, and students trying to understand their rights in the digital age. The one thing that struck me is this: the gap between knowing the law and accessing the law is still very wide in India.
Yes, we’ve made progress. Digital platforms now allow consumers to file complaints online. Legal aid clinics exist in villages. Cyber cells are more proactive in taking up cases of online fraud. But for many ordinary citizens, justice remains something they hear about rather than something they experience.
As someone who deeply values fairness and accessibility, I believe it’s time we start thinking about law not just as a tool for punishment or protection, but as a bridge to equality. Laws should empower people—be it a woman lawyer breaking barriers in litigation, a man struggling with custody rights, or a consumer fighting a corporate giant for a simple refund.
But here’s the tricky part: the law cannot do it alone. Judges, lawyers, activists, businesses, and even the media have to come together to make sure rights are not just written in books but lived in reality.
Sometimes, justice happens quietly—when a teacher ensures equal opportunities for a girl and a boy, when a company supports mental health at the workplace, when an individual refuses to share fake news online. These aren’t “legal victories,” but they are victories for justice all the same.
As we move forward, my hope is that we stop seeing the law only as an institution, and start seeing it as a culture of fairness—something we practice every day, in small and big ways alike. Because at the end of the day, the law is only as strong as the society that believes in it.
| Rishabh Bitola is the Editor-in-Chief of LEGAL FIRMS and a multi-venture entrepreneur with active interests in technology, healthcare, real estate, and investment. Through his businesses, he works at the intersection of innovation and accessibility, creating solutions that empower communities and simplify complex systems. A strong advocate for equality, sustainability, and justice, he brings a distinctive perspective to the magazine—bridging entrepreneurial insights with legal and policy discussions to ensure law is understood as a practical tool for everyday empowerment. |