Heed the Constitution or face chaos, says CJI Ranjan Gogoi

Ranjan Gogoi warns of the dangers of ignoring the Statute

November 26, 2018 10:58 pm | Updated December 03, 2021 10:13 am IST - NEW DELHI

Supreme role:  CJI Ranjan Gogoi addressing the Constitution Day celebration in New Delhi on Monday.

Supreme role: CJI Ranjan Gogoi addressing the Constitution Day celebration in New Delhi on Monday.

It is in the best interests of the nation to heed to the ethics and morality of the Constitution; otherwise, our hubris will end with a plunge into chaos, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said on Monday.

Speaking at the Constitution Day function with President Ram Nath Kovind and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad sharing the stage, the Chief Justice said the Constitution was “the voice of the marginalised as well as the prudence of the majority”.

A guide amid crises

“Its wisdom continues to guide us in moments of crisis and stability. It is in our best interests to heed its advice,” Chief Justice Gogoi said.

 

Justice Kurian Joseph said despite India’s diversities, the Constitution and its ethics made it a great nation.

In his speech, Mr. Prasad highlighted how the Supreme Court had soothed crises in the past. However, the Law Minister said he wanted to make a “submission” before ending his speech. He said the Supreme Court judges should reach a consensus on what made “constitutional morality”.

President Kovind said the Constitution was the “modern scripture of independent India”.

Shared enterprise

The Constitution has given the judiciary, government and the legislature critical responsibilities. “It also urged them to build a fraternal and parallel relationship. The duty of safeguarding and strengthening the Constitution is a shared enterprise among all three institutions, in partnership with the people of India,” the President said.

He said the concept of ‘justice’ needs innovation. For example, political justice would also entail transparency in campaign finance. Disruptions in parliamentary proceedings, which he called an “unfortunate occurrence”, may be viewed by some as an “encroachment on the citizen’s understanding of justice”.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.