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Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the Constitution is a "shared home" that belongs equally to all citizens, including the poor and marginalised, and not just judges, lawyers or state authorities.
Kant stressed that "The Constitution is not a privilege of a few cosmopolitans who can afford cost-bearing processes and engage the best of the brains," emphasising that constitutional rights must be accessible to everyone.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said that the Constitution belongs equally to every citizen and should not be treated as an exclusive preserve of a privileged few.
His remarks came on Thursday during the launch of senior advocate Indira Jaising’s memoir, The Constitution Is My Home: Conversations on a Life in Law. Although invited as the chief guest, Kant was unable to attend the event in person and instead sent a video message, citing his participation in an upcoming meeting of BRICS judges.
In his address, the CJI underscored the Constitution’s universal character, stating: "The Constitution is truly our shared home. It belongs not to judges alone, nor to lawyers, State or public authorities. It belongs equally to every citizen, be it an urbanite or a ruralite, or the poorest of the poor, or the marginalised, who seek justice within its framework and place faith in its promises."
He further remarked: "The Constitution is not a privilege of a few cosmopolitans who can afford cost-bearing processes and engage the best of the brains to assert something which our Constitution never intended to offer."
Kant said the Constitution is far more than a legal document governing society from afar. "It accompanies us in courtrooms and chambers, in arguments and deliberations. But its reach extends far beyond formal legal spaces and its influence is ultimately measured in the lives of citizens and in the character of our democracy," he said.
Highlighting the importance of constitutionalism, the Chief Justice observed that it seeks to maintain harmony between authority and principle. He said public institutions function most effectively when power and responsibility are exercised with balance, accountability, transparency and fidelity to foundational values.
"It is this continuing commitment that allows a democratic society to respond to changing circumstances while preserving the ethos and ideals that sustain it," he said.
(with PTI inputs)