E-Paper
Indian Constitution not merely a legal document, but a living promise: SC judge
Indian Constitution not merely a legal document, but a living promise: SC judge
New Delhi, Senior-most Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath on Wednesday said India's Constitution is not merely a legal document but a "living promise".
Speaking at a function organised by the Supreme Court to celebrate the Constitution Day, Justice Nath said in a nation as vast and varied as ours, the Constitution acts as both compass and anchor.
"Our Constitution is not merely a legal document; it is a living promise. It is the framework within which India has pursued justice, nurtured pluralism, and ensured that every citizen has both rights and responsibilities," he said.
President Droupadi Murmu, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Attorney General R Venkataramani, Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra and Supreme Court Bar Association president Vikas Singh also spoke during the function.
In his address, Justice Nath said Constitution Day is not a ritual, "it is a reaffirmation of the shared values that bind us: the dignity of the individual, the unity of the nation, and the hope that democratic institutions will continually evolve for the better".
The Constitution provides stability to institutions and protection to the weakest among us, even as it adapts to new demands and new generations without losing sight of its foundational values, he added.
"As the Supreme Court of India, we remain anchored in the Constitution. Our interpretative task is approached with humility and care, aware that its meaning shapes the everyday realities of millions," he said.
Speaking at the function, the SCBA president pitched for greater transparency, gender representation and accountability in the judicial appointment process.
He said women now constitutes almost 48 per cent of India's population and hold pivotal roles in every walk of life, barring politics and law.
"Currently, only one out of the 33 judges of the Supreme Court is a woman. Women comprise approximately 13 per cent of high court judges and 35 per cent of the district court," he said.
He urged for measurable goals to be set by 2030 to ensure representation for women, particularly 25 per cent in the Supreme Court, 30 per cent in the high courts and 50 per cent in the district judiciary.
Calling public confidence the "bedrock" of the judicial system, Singh said trust is earned through "the equality and character of men and women elevated to the bench".
The BCI chairman emphasised that lawyers had historically been "the conscience keeper of the Constitution", but flagged structural disadvantages within the profession.
"There is a vast majority of lawyers from middle class families. Getting briefs is a dream for them, and it is very difficult for them to get suitable senior offices," he said.
Speaking at the function, the Attorney General said India is positioned well enough to become the global centre of mediation and arbitration regimes.
"We stand today in a new age, a new age of freedoms and equality, a new age of technology, unlike all other earlier machine ages and this has opened up challenges which are also new but our Constitution and our governance systems are resilient enough to meet all these challenges," he said.
November 26 is observed as Constitution Day since 2015 to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. The day was earlier observed as Law Day.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
