Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna on Tuesday said that the Constitution of India helped in the transformative journey of the country from widespread illiteracy, poverty and hunger to a mature, and vibrant democracy, which today is a self-assured nation and a geo-political leader.

Describing the Constitution as a “way of life that has to be lived up to”, Chief Justice Khanna said, “Since independence, India has undergone a transformative journey — from a nation suffering from the aftermath of the horrors of partition, widespread illiteracy, poverty, and hunger, to one plagued by a lack of a robust system of democratic checks and balances, resulting in self-doubt. Today, India has emerged as a mature and vibrant democracy, a self-assured nation, and a geopolitical leader. At the heart of this transformation is the Constitution of India.”

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Speaking at a function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association to celebrate ‘Constitution Day’, the Chief Justice lauded the role played by the Bar in making the judiciary a robust institution.

“We often refer to the judiciary as the persons in the robes, i.e. the judges. But the judiciary equally represents the Bar. I cannot visualise a judiciary where the members of the Bar are not part and parcel of it. You are as much a part of the judicial system as the judges,” Chief Justice Khanna said, describing lawyers as the spokespersons of the litigants before the court, helping judges adjudicate cases as per the legal principles.

He said that lawyers are the first persons whom the citizens approach with their legal grievances and who act as their spokespersons before the courts.

“Judges shine in the reflected glory of advocates. The Better the Bar, the better the judges,” CJI Khanna said, crediting lawyers for the strong legacy of the Supreme Court.

“The Indian Supreme Court has had a strong legacy. We have had decisions ranging from environmental laws, privacy laws, fundamental rights, and the Basic Structure Doctrine. Many of these decisions would not have been possible without the contributions and efforts of the members of the Bar,” CJI Khanna said.

On certain aspects of the working of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice clarified that the court would not revert to the old system of seeking adjournments by the circulation of letters as it may be counterproductive.

“… I have one request to make and I hope it will be taken in the right spirit. I have been repeatedly getting requests for re-circulation of letters of adjournment. I have looked into the data. The data shows that there were about 9,000-10,000 applications or letters for adjournments being circulated every 3 months, … so it is not going to be possible for us to go back to the earlier system,” the CJI told the advocates present at the function.

Attorney General R Venkataramani, Supreme Court Bar Association President Kapil Sibal, and others also spoke on the occasion.