CJI Sanjiv Khanna Emphasizes the Importance of Truth in Justice At Supreme Court’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration
(Judicial Quest News Network)
New Delhi 28, January, 2025.Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, during the full court sitting to mark the 75th anniversary of the Supreme Court of India’s first session, underscored a powerful message: “Justice cannot thrive when falsehood is rampant.” Speaking on the challenges currently faced by the Indian judiciary, CJI Khanna emphasized the importance of truth in upholding justice.
“Each decade of our Court’s jurisprudence serves as a mirror to our nation’s challenges. Like rings in a mature tree that reflect its journey through different seasons, these judgments reflect not just legal evolution, but our country’s very pulse. What emerges is not an unmoving structure carved from sandstone, but rather a living, breathing institution. It has been responsive to the conscience of our democracy, adapting and evolving to embrace the complexities of each era while remaining rooted in the bedrock of constitutional values”
Highlighting the critical issues confronting the institution, CJI Khanna pointed out three major challenges that the judiciary is grappling with today, noting that each decade of the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence reflects the evolving struggles of the nation.
“This Court has also been a vanguard for protection and preservation of the environment. In its judgments, the Court has articulated the concepts of Sustainable Development and the Polluter Pays principle. It has also applied the public trust doctrine in several cases, highlighting that the public has a right to enjoy common resources, with the State being entrusted to guard and maintain these resources”
The occasion also saw Attorney General R. Venkataramani celebrating India’s successful 75-year journey with constitutional rule of law, calling it a significant achievement. Meanwhile, Supreme Court Bar Association President Kapil Sibal acknowledged the Court’s responsiveness to the needs of India’s political environment, praising its efforts to preserve the constitutional vision of the nation’s founders amid the complexities of a dynamic democracy.
CJI Khanna have further said that in socioeconomic justice, it broadened affirmative action to include economic criteria, recognizing diverse forms of disadvantage in modern society.
Apart from public law, this Court’s decisions have strengthened India’s economic landscape by injecting clarity, efficiency and fairness – be it the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code or the Arbitration & Conciliation Act. This Court has also strived to strengthen Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms.
The public understanding of justice has evolved from a pure legal construct to a living force that touches lives across the nation. While the Court’s journey reflects remarkable evolution in rights and reach, three challenges demand our attention. First, the weight of arrears which continues to delay justice. Second, mounting costs of litigation threatens true accessibility.
Third, and perhaps most fundamentally – justice cannot thrive where and when falsehood is practised. These challenges mark the next frontier in our pursuit for justice.
Kapil Sibal said that courts have left a mark on the protection of fundamental rights. Courts must find ways to address the backlogs. Power of argument must prevail over the argument of power; judiciary must eschew excessive secrecy and embrace being more open. Then 15 benches of Supreme Court do not become 15 different courts. Courageous is contagious and so is cowardice. Courts have always stood up for our hallowed democracy.
