Bar and Bench indispensable guardians of the Constitution: CJI Surya Kant at SCBA's Constitution Day function

The Chief Justice of India has called the Bar and the Bench indispensable partners, acting as guardians of the Constitution of India.

"Constitution entrusts its guardianship not to one institution alone, but to a consortium of minds and consciences. And in that consortium, the Bar and the Bench stand as indispensable partners. We interpret, you illuminate. We pronounce, you provoke thought. We guard the ramparts, and you fortify the foundations. Together, we sustain the living promise of our Republic.", CJI Kant said at the 76th Constitution Day function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Chief Justices and Judges from Kenya, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and other countries were also present for the event.

Justice Kant expressed that the event was especially meaningful for him as it was his first public address. "Truth be told, I could not have imagined a more fitting and elevating occasion than Constitution Day for this milestone", he added.

Emphasizing that the Bar occupies an indispensable place in fortifying the rule of law and upholding the sanctity of our Constitution, CJI Kant said, "I do not hesitate in saying that if the courts are regarded as the sentinel of the Constitution, then the Bar is the torchbearer who illuminate our path. They help us discharge our solemn duty with clarity and conviction."

"When we are called upon to pronounce on the constitutionality of a provision or to expand the ambit of another, it is the range of perspectives, the depth of readings, and the wealth of precedent that the Bar brings before us that marshal our understanding. Your scholarship allows us to approach each question with a more holistic vision, forming the very bedrock on which constitutional jurisprudence steadily evolves.", the CJI added.

CJI Kant has said the Bar's perspective matters profoundly, and the seriousness with which it engages in the craft directly influences the transformation of our constitutional future. "In addition to assisting us in constitutional matters, it is equally vital that the Bar collectively takes purposeful strides towards exposing the letter and spirit of our fundamental document. This includes providing legal aid to those who are vulnerable or living at the margins of society, as well as aligning oneself with the vision embedded in the Directive Principles of State Policy.", the Chief Justice of India observed.

Stating that the Bar can serve as model citizens, both personally and professionally, embodying the very ideals our founding document seeks to instill, CJI has urged the younger advocates to take up this cause.

"On this Constitution Day, may we renew this faithful commitment with humility and resolve to uphold the Constitution not only through our judgments and arguments, but through the integrity we embody, the empathy we cultivate, and the consensus we carry forward. Let us continue, side by side, to ensure that the Constitution is not merely preserved, but continuously upheld and ennobled in the service of our people.", the CJI said in conclusion.

The event was also graced by addresses from Law Minister Arjun Meghwal, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Senior Advocate Vikas Singh.