New Delhi: Noting that lawyers played an important role in the freedom struggle, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant urgedbyoung law graduates to be ready to shoulder the responsibilities of the future.
He was addressing tha gathering after hoisting the National Flag at the Supreme Court Bar Association.
The Constitution is a living document that has evolved as society changed, the CJI said.
“There have been situations where law has not caught up with institutional needs. In such situations, lawyers have brought issues before the court, and the law was interpreted and finalised,” he said mentioning that there is much more that needs to be done.
Challenges faced by young lawyers are much more than what his generation faced, CJI Kant said, adding that the quality of young lawyers today gives him confidence.
“The journey of a nation does not end with what it has accomplished. Every achievement also brings with it a renewed sense of responsibility and duty. There is much that remains to be done, and many more miles to travel in our journey ahead,” he said, as reported by timesnow.in.
“To our young law graduates and young lawyers, I want to say this: the responsibility that this Bar has carried since the days of the freedom struggle will, before long, rest on your shoulders. The institutions of justice that generations before you have built and strengthened are now yours to protect and to carry forward,” the CJI said.
“Please know that the Bar and the Bench remain committed to your growth: by extending mentorship, by creating meaningful opportunity, and by placing our confidence in you. The miles that remain are yours to walk, and we walk with you,” he added.
The freedom struggle had a deep and enduring connection with the law, the CJI said, adding that it was through the vision and work of some of the finest legal minds of that generation that Indians began to discover that the true purpose of law is not just to command or regulate, but to serve justice, protect liberty and uphold human dignity.
The nation has overcome formidable challenges and achieved much in the last eight decades, while its legal and judicial institutions have also grown and matured remarkably alongside the Republic and played an important role in shaping the conscience of the country, he said.
According to CJI Kant, with many more miles to travel in the nation’s journey, his thoughts turn naturally to the young lawyers of today.
“They stand where many of us once stood – filled with hope, ambition, and perhaps a little unsure of what lies ahead. I personally remember the anxieties of those early years at the Bar, and I say this not to discourage our young colleagues, but because I want them to know that we see them, and we understand their challenges,” he said.
On the challenges faced by the young lawyers, the CJI said the profession is more competitive today, the learning curve has become steeper, and the pressures of building a practice weighs heavily in these early years.
“And yet, I have also seen in our young colleagues a remarkable resilience, a sharp intellect, and a genuine commitment to justice that gives me great confidence in the future of this profession,” he said.
The young lawyers have grown up in a world where technology has transformed the way people communicate and access knowledge, and they are bringing that adaptability into the courtroom, CJI Kant said.
“At the same time, they bring a greater awareness of the social realities around them. Many young lawyers approach the law with a deep sensitivity to questions of equality, inclusion and access to justice, and with an understanding that the law must remain connected to the lives and aspirations of the people it serves,” he added.