03-08-2025
It's imperative to ask who shapes the judges & how: Justice Surya Kant
A judge does not only adjudicate disputes, but also represents the nation's fabric and moral compass, said Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant, while emphasising the importance of asking who shapes the judiciary and how? From left: Professor Balram Gupta, Punjab & Haryana high court chief justice Sheel Nagu and Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant during the book launch at the Chandigarh Judicial Academy, Sector 43, on Saturday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)
The top court judge was speaking at the book launch of 'Shaping the Judges', honouring the life of professor Balram Gupta, at the Chandigarh Judicial Academy, Sector 43, on Saturday evening.
Calling the book a remarkable tribute to professor Gupta, Justice Surya Kant said the judge must not be just a working mechanic. 'A mason lays brick after brick without caring how a building is built. A judge, on the other hand, must be an architect thinking of the way the building has come for the future generations. His life will continue to inspire them,' he added.
Titled 'Shaping the Judges: Essays in Honour of Dr Balram K Gupta', the volume compiles thought-provoking essays from India's leading judicial minds, including 10 sitting Supreme Court judges. Among them, Justice Surya Kant's piece — 'Humour in Judgment Writing' — makes the case for letting wit breathe in black-letter law.
The book has been edited and introduced by Gupta's daughter professor Shruti Bedi and is a personal and scholarly tribute to her father who is a noted jurist and mentor. His decades-long influence on judicial training, ethics and legal academia is palpable throughout the collection, which brings together contributions from judges, scholars and legal philosophers who have crossed paths with him or been shaped by him.
Professor Bedi is a professor of law and director at the University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University. An internationally recognised legal scholar, she is an international fellow at the National Institute of Military Justice, Washington DC, and a visiting professor at Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia. She also serves as the director of the Centre for Constitution and Public Policy.
'From my formative years in Chandigarh, I know firsthand that almost everyone has a fond memory in connection with professor Gupta's articulation and depth of legal acumen,' said Justice Kant.
'Beyond the courtroom, professor Gupta's pivotal stint at both the National Judicial Academy and then at Chandigarh Judicial Academy, apart from his plethora of teaching roles, all cement his position as a human being in the legal and judicial landscape of India,' he said.
Chief justice of Punjab and Haryana high court, Justice Sheel Nagu, and high court Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul were among the dignitaries present at the event.
