Constitution not a privilege of the elite, belongs equally to every citizen: CJI

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Thursday underlined that the Constitution belongs equally to every citizen and cannot become the preserve of a privileged urban elite capable of navigating expensive legal processes.

Speaking through a recorded video message at the launch of senior advocate Indira Jaising’s memoir, The Constitution Is My Home: Conversations on a Life in Law, the CJI stressed that constitutional rights and protections must remain accessible to all sections of society, especially the marginalised and economically weaker groups.

“The Constitution is truly our shared home. It belongs not to judges alone, nor to lawyers, State or public authorities. It belongs equally to every citizen, be it an urbanite or a ruralite, or the poorest of the poor, or the marginalised, who seek justice within its framework and place faith in its promises,” justice Kant said.

In a sharp observation on inequality in access to justice, he added: “The Constitution is not a privilege of a few cosmopolitans who can afford cost-bearing processes and engage the best of the brains to assert something which our Constitution never intended to offer.”

Justice Kant, who was invited as the chief guest for the event, could not attend in person due to an upcoming meeting of BRICS judges and instead sent a video message conveying his greetings for the book launch.

Reflecting on the role of the Constitution in public life, the CJI said it was not merely a legal document governing society from a distance, but a living force shaping institutions and democratic values.

“It accompanies us in courtrooms and chambers, in arguments and deliberations. But its reach extends far beyond formal legal spaces and its influence is ultimately measured in the lives of citizens and in the character of our democracy,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of constitutional morality and institutional accountability, CJI Kant said constitutionalism seeks to preserve harmony between authority and principle.

“Public institutions function best when power and responsibility are exercised in a spirit of balance, accountability, transparency and fidelity to foundational values,” he observed.

He added that democratic societies remain resilient only when institutions continue to uphold the ethos and ideals embedded in the Constitution while adapting to changing realities.

With PTI inputs