Next generation must carry forward institutions of justice: CJI Surya Kant

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday said the nation has overcome several formidable challenges in the last eight decades but much remains to be done, urging young law graduates and lawyers to be ready to shoulder the responsibilities of the future.

Speaking at the national flag hoisting ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association on the occasion of 80th Independence Day at the apex court premises, CJI Kant said the journey of the nation does not end with what it has accomplished.

"The journey of a nation does not end with what it has accomplished. Every achievement also brings with it a renewed sense of responsibility and duty. There is much that remains to be done, and many more miles to travel in our journey ahead," he said.

The programme was attended by several senior judges, lawyers and court staff.

Addressing young lawyers, Kant said the responsibility carried by the Bar since the days of the freedom struggle would soon rest on their shoulders.

"To our young law graduates and young lawyers, I want to say this: the responsibility that this Bar has carried since the days of the freedom struggle will, before long, rest on your shoulders. The institutions of justice that generations before you have built and strengthened are now yours to protect and to carry forward," he said.

"Please know that the Bar and the Bench remain committed to your growth: by extending mentorship, by creating meaningful opportunity, and by placing our confidence in you. The miles that remain are yours to walk, and we walk with you," he added.

CJI Kant said the freedom struggle had a deep and enduring connection with the law and it was through the vision and work of some of the finest legal minds of that generation that we began to discover that the true purpose of law is not just to command or regulate, but to serve justice, protect liberty and uphold human dignity.

He said Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar, whom he described as two of the greatest architects of modern India, as well as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Motilal Nehru, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai were all lawyers which shows that the legal profession was not a bystander to India's freedom struggle, but an integral part of it.

He said that the nation has overcome formidable challenges and achieved much in the last eight decades, while its legal and judicial institutions have also grown and matured remarkably alongside the Republic and played an important role in shaping the conscience of the country.

Kant added that with many more miles to travel in the nation's journey, his thoughts turn naturally to the young lawyers of today.

"They stand where many of us once stood - filled with hope, ambition, and perhaps a little unsure of what lies ahead. I personally remember the anxieties of those early years at the Bar, and I say this not to discourage our young colleagues, but because I want them to know that we see them, and we understand their challenges," CJI Kant said.

Speaking about the challenges faced by the young lawyers, he said the profession is more competitive today, the learning curve has become steeper, and the pressures of building a practice weighs heavily in these early years.

"And yet, I have also seen in our young colleagues a remarkable resilience, a sharp intellect, and a genuine commitment to justice that gives me great confidence in the future of this profession," he said, adding that this generation brings with it qualities that give us every reason to be confident.

The CJI said that they have grown up in a world where technology has transformed the way we communicate and access knowledge, and they are bringing that adaptability into the courtroom.

"At the same time, they bring a greater awareness of the social realities around them. Many young lawyers approach the law with a deep sensitivity to questions of equality, inclusion and access to justice, and with an understanding that the law must remain connected to the lives and aspirations of the people it serves," he added.

Highlighting that India's struggle for independence was different from the freedom struggles that had preceded it in other colonies, CJI Kant said, "Ours was not primarily an armed insurrection; it was instead a sustained challenge to the legitimacy of colonial rule through political movements, petitions, public debates, and, most importantly, through the language of law".

He said that the country's freedom movement often confronted the British with a question that was simple but difficult to answer: if you claim to govern through the law, can that law deny liberty, equality and dignity to the very people whom it governs?  "This is a lesson that is still holding its weight in practice today, as courts continue to be the place where people from very different backgrounds come to assert their Constitutional rights, challenge arbitrary action, and seek the same idea of equal treatment under law. Courts have continued to serve as a unifying space for the litigants and members of the Bar alike," he said.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Vikas Singh and other members of the bar body also spoke on the occasion.