‘Dignity guiding principle for judiciary’

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai on Wednesday said the judiciary has consistently emphasised human dignity as the soul of the Constitution, stressing that dignity functions as a guiding principle that connects rights and enables the courts to develop a holistic framework for constitutional adjudication.

- Shruti Kakkar

Delivering the keynote address of the lth Dr LM Singhvi Memorial Lecture on the theme “Human Dignity as the Soul of the Constitution: Judicial Reflections in the 21st Century”, CJI Gavai said dignity is a pervasive principle that underlies the very spirit and philosophy of the Constitution, shaping its core values of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice.

The importance of human dignity in the Constitution was also highlighted by the chief guest, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who emphasised the “urgent need for public discourse and dialogue among various stakeholders” to uphold the dignity of people through timely delivery of justice. Birla acknowledged that numerous obstacles within the legal and administrative systems continue to delay justice and called upon people to deliberate on the crucial question of “ensuring prompt and fair justice for all.”

“The framers of the Indian Constitution, led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, deeply embedded principles of humanity, equality, justice, socioeconomic rights, and freedoms within the Constitution. Special emphasis was placed on human dignity in both the constitutional articles and the Constituent Assembly debates,” Birla said.