Jodhpur: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant Saturday called upon graduating law students to view the legal profession as a public responsibility in a democracy still in the making, and urged them to ensure that the law remained accessible, responsive, and rooted in social realities.Delivering the 18th convocation address at National Law University, Jodhpur, the CJI spoke on the theme “From Fortress to Forum: Law in an Unfinished Republic,” emphasising that the legal system must evolve with society rather than remain shielded by complexity or privilege.Drawing inspiration from the imposing Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur as a symbol of law’s early purpose, which was to defend society from arbitrariness and disorder, he said that in a constitutional democracy, law cannot remain a defensive structure alone.“It must function as a forum where citizens can question authority, assert rights, and resolve differences through reasoned dialogue,” he said.He cautioned graduates against the misconception that the law they studied was complete or settled. “The law is not a finished edifice,” he said, noting that its growth is shaped by social change and lived experience. He pointed out that the Indian Constitution was designed as a living framework, with each generation expanding its meaning from personal liberty and privacy to substantive equality.Tracing the historical evolution of legal principles, he observed that ideas of accountability and fairness expanded over centuries, from limited protections against arbitrary power to broader commitments to dignity and equal treatment. “The responsibility for carrying this process forward rests with those entering the profession,” he said.He also warned that there is a risk of the legal system becoming exclusionary if it is burdened by unnecessary technicality or inaccessible language, and insisted that lawyers must resist turning the law into an elite domain and instead work to widen participation and understanding.
