The Constitution Day address was delivered by Justice Surya Kant, the Chief Justice of India, commemorating seventy-six years of the Constitution coming into force.
Recalling the wisdom of Begum Aizaz Rasul, Justice Surya Kant emphasised that “A Constitution is judged by the spirit in which it is worked.” He remarked that the framers envisaged a document supple enough to adapt to changing realities while positioning India as a moral and constitutional compass for the world.
Justice Surya Kant highlighted that the Constitution has remained the Grund norm, enabling change without chaos and growth without drift. He underlined the judiciary’s unwavering dedication to reading the Constitution in harmony with evolving realities, expanding the contours of Article 21 of the Constitution, infusing meaning into Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles, and ensuring direct access to constitutional courts.
He underscored access to justice as the foundation upon which all rights rest, embedded in Articles 32 and 39A of the Constitution, and warned that without it, liberties become ornamental. Barriers of cost, language, distance and delay were identified as weakening this goal. Justice Kant called for augmentation of judicial infrastructure in physical, technological, administrative and human dimensions as indispensable to reform.
The address further highlighted mediation as a transformative development, citing the “Mediation for the Nation” drive and online training modules. Arbitration was also recognised as strengthening India’s global legal standing. Technology, including digital filing, virtual hearings and multilingual platforms, was described as democratizing access, though inclusivity must remain central.
Looking ahead, Justice Surya Kant proposed a uniform national judicial policy to ensure coherence across jurisdictions, likening the judiciary to a symphony guided by a common constitutional score. Concluding, he urged collective determination to “Refine, Rethink, and Rebuild,” reaffirming that the Constitution lives through institutions, citizens, and the steadfast capacity to secure rights.
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