Speaking at the Independence Day celebrations organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), CJI Chandrachud said, “It is important for us to recognize the fact that the Supreme Court Bar, as the foremost Bar of the country, stands up for defending the rule of law.” ‘ Referring to the lawyers, he said, “Without you (lawyers), without your fearlessness, without your independence, we judges would really be ciphers in the sands of time.”
The CJI said, “Whenever I get a request from a member of the bar, sometimes to take up a matter immediately on the same day, I listen to it very carefully and set up a bench at the earliest, because of our system.” The real objective is to provide access to justice to our citizens.
He also said, ‘Our freedom struggle gave a constitutional space to the marginalized and the underprivileged to raise their voice against the hegemony, the influence of the social structure. It ordered the institutions of governance to actively respond to the sufferings of the people to deliver justice.’
He said that in the last 76 years we have realized that every institution has contributed in strengthening the soul of our nation.
CJI Chandrachud said, ‘It is important that we recognize that all the institutions of the nation, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary are involved in the common task of nation building.’
‘And this occasion should serve as an opportunity to recalibrate our collective goals and institutional aspirations,’ he added.
The CJI further said, ‘Our Constitution envisages an important role for the judiciary to ensure that the institutions of governance work within defined constitutional boundaries.’
Besides, the court provides a safe democratic space for individuals to safeguard their life and liberty, Chandrachud said. The Supreme Court, in particular, has been a vanguard of institutional governance enhancing access to justice and promoting constitutional values.’