CJI says India has overcome many challenges in 80 years:Much work remains; urges youth to take charge of future

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the country has overcome many difficult challenges over the past eight decades, but much work remains to be done. He urged young law graduates and lawyers to be prepared to take on the responsibilities of the future. The CJI was speaking after hoisting the national flag on Independence Day at the Supreme Court campus. The event was organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association. The CJI said the country’s journey does not end with its achievements. “Every achievement brings with it a new sense of responsibility and duty. Much remains to be done, and many miles are yet to be covered in the journey ahead,” he said. Several senior Supreme Court judges, lawyers and court staff attended the event. Urges young lawyers to take on responsibility for the future Addressing young lawyers, CJI Surya Kant said the responsibility shouldered by the Bar since the freedom struggle would soon be passed on to their generation. He said the institutions of justice built and strengthened by previous generations were now in the hands of young lawyers to protect and take forward. “The Bar and the Bench are committed to your development. We will guide you, create meaningful opportunities for you and place our trust in you. The road ahead is yours to travel, and we will walk alongside you,” he said. The CJI said there were still many miles to cover in the country’s journey, which was why his focus remained on today’s young lawyers. Increased competition for young lawyers The CJI said that today’s young lawyers stand with hope and ambition at the place where many of them once stood. He said that in his early years, he himself used to feel anxious at the Bar. He said, I am not saying this to discourage my young colleagues. I want them to know that we are watching them and understand their challenges. Suryakant said that today the legal profession has become more competitive. The learning process has become difficult and there is also a lot of pressure to build a practice in the initial years. He said that despite this, young lawyers show strong resilience, sharp understanding, and a true commitment to justice. These qualities instill confidence in the future of this profession. The CJI said that young people have grown up in an era where technology has changed the way of communication and knowledge acquisition. They are also bringing this ability to adapt to change into the courts. He said that young lawyers are more aware of issues like equality, inclusivity, and access to justice. They also understand that the law should be connected to the lives and aspirations of the people it serves. Law’s deep connection with the freedom struggle CJI Suryakant said that the freedom struggle had a deep and lasting connection with law. The thought and work of many of the best legal minds of that generation led to the understanding that the purpose of law is not merely to give orders or maintain control. He said that the true purpose of law is to deliver justice, protect freedom, and uphold human dignity. The CJI said that Mahatma Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar were among the two great architects of modern India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Motilal Nehru, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Lala Lajpat Rai were also lawyers. He said that this makes it clear that the legal profession was not merely a spectator in India’s freedom struggle, but an integral part of it. Courts became the voice of people’s rights The CJI said that India’s freedom struggle was different from movements in other colonies. It was not primarily an armed rebellion, but a continuous effort to challenge the legitimacy of British rule through political movements, petitions, public debates, and most importantly, the language of law. He said that during the freedom movement, a simple but difficult question was often posed to the Britishif you claim to rule through law, can the same law snatch away the freedom, equality, and dignity of the people you are ruling? The CJI said that this lesson remains relevant in practice even today. People from different backgrounds come to courts to assert their constitutional rights, challenge arbitrary actions, and demand equal treatment under the law. He said that courts remain a unifying space for both litigants and members of the bar. Vikas Singh, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and other members of the bar organization also spoke at the event.