As per Article 39-A of the Indian Constitution, the State shall secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity, and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.

Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, is an effort to provide legal aid and assistance to the marginalized and weaker sections of the Society. Supreme Court is the last Court of Justice in the country. It is the Court of Law and people look upto it as being the temple of justice. Approaching the Supreme Court is itself a daunting task, not to mention that today's legal system has become such that the fees and other expenses are exorbitant.

Large number of India's population cannot afford to approach Hon’ble Supreme Court for justice. These masses sometimes feel left out in their effort to seek justice. In order to remove this feeling of being deprived, of the right to approach Hon’ble Supreme Court, on grounds of lack of funds, social or economical backwardness or any other disability, whole concept of providing legal aid through SCLSC was envisioned. The aim of providing free legal aid to the people at large would have remained unaccomplished, if this right was unavailable to the masses for approaching the highest Court of Justice – the Supreme Court. With a purpose of providing free legal aid to the persons (eligible under Section 12 of Legal Service Authorities Act, 1987), (hereinafter referred to as Act for brevity) Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (hereinafter referred to as SCLSC for brevity) was constituted, to approach Hon’ble Supreme Court.