CJI Gavai Highlights Systemic Legal Challenges and Calls for Reform-Oriented Legal Education

Time Business News

12-07-2025

Chief Justice of India Dr. B.R. Gavai, in a series of addresses delivered at NALSAR University of Law and Osmania University in Hyderabad, underscored the pressing challenges facing the Indian legal system and called for reforms in legal education and practice. Speaking at NALSAR's convocation ceremony, Justice Gavai remarked on the prolonged delays in Indian trials, noting that legal proceedings can sometimes extend for decades, with undertrial prisoners occasionally declared innocent only after spending years in incarceration. He emphasized that India's brightest legal minds must contribute to addressing these structural inefficiencies. Quoting American federal judge Jed S. Rakoff, Justice Gavai echoed a sentiment of cautious optimism, suggesting that meaningful reform remains possible through collective engagement.
In his address, Justice Gavai also urged graduating law students to exercise financial prudence when considering foreign legal education. While acknowledging the value of international exposure, he cautioned against succumbing to peer pressure or incurring substantial educational debt. He cited instances where young lawyers had taken loans between ₹50–70 lakh to pursue degrees abroad—funds that, he suggested, could alternatively serve as capital to begin independent practice or build professional infrastructure. He encouraged students to seek global education through scholarships or at a later, more stable stage in their careers.
Justice Gavai further identified a growing trend of Indian law graduates pursuing education abroad as indicative of deeper systemic concerns, particularly the perceived inadequacy of India's postgraduate legal education and research infrastructure. Upon returning to India, he observed, many scholars face institutional resistance, lack of structured research pathways, limited funding, and non-transparent hiring practices. He advocated for the creation of merit-based, nurturing academic environments that offer dignity and support to legal researchers and educators.
Addressing the emotional and psychological pressures within the legal profession, Justice Gavai acknowledged the demanding nature of legal practice, characterized by long working hours and high expectations. He urged young professionals not to suppress their struggles and to seek support when needed, emphasizing the importance of mental well-being in sustaining a healthy legal ecosystem.
Later, delivering a lecture at Osmania University on the role of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the framing of the Indian Constitution, the Chief Justice highlighted the constitutional balance between federalism and centralism. Referring to critiques that the Constitution was either too federal or too central, Justice Gavai reiterated Ambedkar's stance that the Indian Constitution was designed to maintain national unity in both peace and conflict. He commended the Constitution's resilience in the face of internal disturbances and external threats over the past 75 years and called upon citizens and legal professionals alike to uphold the vision of achieving economic, social, and political justice.
Justice Gavai also expressed personal gratitude for visiting Osmania University, which had conferred an honorary D.Litt upon Dr. Ambedkar in 1953. The events were also attended by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Supreme Court judge Justice P.S. Narasimha, and Acting Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, Justice Sujoy Paul.
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