Standing by conscience defines paths: SC judge

Ethical courage is not a liability but the greatest asset a lawyer can possess, Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant emphasised on Sunday, urging the legal fraternity to see themselves not merely as professionals but as agents of social transformation.

- Ayesha Arvind

He underlined that the true measure of a lawyer lay not just in learning the law but in reshaping it to serve the communities that need justice the most.

"The question is not whether you have learned the law. It is whether you are ready to reshape it, to bend the arc of justice toward the communities that need it most, and to transform legal practice from a mere career into a force for societal change," said the judge, who will take over as the Chief Justice of India in November this year.

Delivering the convocation address at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru, he reminded young lawyers that ethical courage, integrity and authenticity would define their path far more than short-cuts or technical brilliance.

Reflecting on his own experiences at the Bar, Justice Kant recounted how, early in his practice, he had refused to advance arguments that felt ethically uncomfortable, despite being pressed by a senior advocate.

The stand, he said, not only earned him trust but also defined the trajectory of his career.