Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice B R Gavai on Friday appealed to judges to interpret laws in ways that broaden freedoms, safeguard the rights of marginalised communities, and reinforce the rule of law, calling on the legal fraternity to carry forward the Constitution’s vision of justice, equality, and fraternity.
Speaking at the Supreme Court Bar Association’s (SCBA) Independence Day celebrations function on the lawns of the top court, CJI Gavai said the responsibility of judges extended beyond a literal reading of statutes. “Beyond the letter of the law, we must strive to give a broader, more purposive interpretation to the values of the Constitution. We must interpret the law in ways that expand freedom, protect the rights of the marginalised, and strengthen the rule of law,” he said.
Quoting Rabindranath Tagore’s prayer for a nation “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,” he said these aspirations would only be fulfilled when Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Swaraj became real and Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of democracy was complete.
Recounting milestones in India’s journey from colonial subjugation to independence, CJI Gavai said the tricolour symbolised “the spirit of liberty that refuses to be silenced, of equality that admits no hierarchy, of fraternity that knows no walls.”
He urged the legal community to commit to building an India “where no child is denied education because of her caste or poverty, no woman walks in fear, and no citizen is too small to be heard, and no truth is too inconvenient to be spoken.”
The CJI stressed that both judges and lawyers bore the solemn duty “not merely to interpret and apply the law, but to actively uphold and embody the fundamental values enshrined in the Constitution… the very principles that form the bedrock of our democratic society.”
Tracing the freedom struggle, he highlighted landmark moments — the Santhal rebellion of 1855, the revolt of 1857, Birsa Munda’s fight for dignity in Chotanagpur, the work of Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule in educating girls from excluded communities, Tagore’s renunciation of his knighthood in protest against injustice, the meticulous drafting of the Constitution by Ambedkar, and Gandhi’s moral leadership.
“Our freedom was forged not in one place, nor by one people, but by the courage of many, speaking in different tongues yet united by one dream of a prosperous and equal India,” he said.
He noted that the independence movement was also a moral and legal struggle in which lawyers played a pivotal role, often at personal cost. “This legacy must guide the lawyers of today,” he said, adding that no matter how small a dispute may appear, it could be a matter of life, dignity, or survival for someone. “Every case you handle, every argument you advance, contributes to the moral and social fabric of our nation.”
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, also addressing the event, said the 24 spokes in the Ashok Chakra in the national flag represent values including compassion, love, courage, righteousness, justice, and integrity — forming the ethical foundation envisioned for the nation.
Attorney General R. Venkataramani, SCBA President Vikas Singh and other dignitaries were also present and addressed the gathering