Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has offered a distinctly Indian interpretation of judicial independence, using the metaphor of a traditional charpai (cot) to explain the balance that sustains the rule of law. Speaking at the inaugural session of the International Convention on the Independence of Judiciary at OP Jindal Global University in Sonipat, the CJI said a charpai’s sturdy wooden frame supported by strong legs and bound with flexible rope represents a structure that is firm yet adaptable — just like a democracy where judicial independence must balance rigidity of principle with flexibility of functioning.
The gathering featured an unprecedented moment: 13 judges of the Supreme Court, led by the CJI, participated in a re-enactment of arguments from the historic Kesavananda Bharati case, which established the Basic Structure doctrine of the Constitution. The moot recreation saw Attorney General R Venkataramani and Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra appear for the Union of India and the Government of Kerala, while Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta presented the petitioners’ side. The event formally marked the opening of a state-of-the-art Moot Court facility on campus.
The CJI reflected on the era of the original Kesavananda hearing, when India was only 23 years into its constitutional journey — still defining institutions and still learning to navigate power without compromising principle. The question before the 13-judge bench, then, he said, was deeply civilisational in nature: whether a parliamentary majority could rewrite the “moral DNA” of the Constitution. By refusing to allow convenience to shape constitutional change, the Supreme Court demonstrated that a democracy “need not grow old to grow wise.”
Justice BV Nagarathna described the Kesavananda verdict as the clearest display of both independence in judicial decision-making and independence of judicial institutions. She stressed that judicial independence is not a privilege for judges but a right belonging to citizens, because it safeguards the rule of law. She underlined that judges must not only act independently but must also be seen by the public as being beyond suspicion, noting that personal conduct off the bench also shapes trust in the judiciary.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, speaking at the convention, emphasised that a stable democracy requires the combined strength of social, economic, and political justice, which he described as a trinity essential to citizens and institutions alike.
The event was attended by a large delegation of legal leaders, including the Chief Justice of Brazil, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nepal, and a UK Member of Parliament, marking it as an important global platform for judicial dialogue.
