[Constitution Day 2021] Protect judiciary from motivated attacks: CJI NV Ramana to lawyers

Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana on Friday urged lawyers to protect the judiciary from targeted and motivated attacks.The CJI said that the lawyers and judges are part of one large family and the Bar should stand up for what is right and against what is wrong."I want to tell all of you, that you must assist judges and the institution. We are all ultimately part of one large family. Protect the institution from motivated and targeted attacks. Do not shy away from standing up for what is right, and against what is wrong," he said.He was speaking on the occasion of Constitution Day at an event organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association.November 26 is celebrated as Constitution Day since it was on this day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution of India, which subsequently came into effect on January 26, 1950.The day was earlier celebrated as Law Day especially by the legal community, before the Government of India in 2015 officially decided to celebrate the day as 'Constitution Day'..The CJI in his speech on Friday paid homage to the freedom fighters and members of the Constituent Assembly who gave the Constitution to the people of India.In this regard, he specifically highlighted the role of legal community."I am happy to be a part of the legal community, which has given so much to the freedom struggle and played such an integral role in the drafting of the Constitution. None can forget the contributions of lawyers such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. BR Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Patel and Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, whose dedication and sacrifices for the cause of the people are legendary. All of us here are successors of that glorious legacy," the CJI reminded..The CJI also acknowledged the contributions of various persons towards making the Constitution an organic and living document."While celebrating this day and paying homage to our freedom fighters and the framers of our Constitution, I think it is also important for all of us to celebrate the citizenry of independent India. It is their actions over the past 7 decades- the litigants, lawyers, judges, legislators, businesspersons, workers and many more, that has breathed life into what might otherwise have been just another bare document," he said..The CJI also reminded lawyers of their responsibility in educating citizens about their role in the society."As people with intimate knowledge of the Constitution and the laws, it is also your responsibility to educate the rest of the citizenry about the role that they play in society....This profession is called a noble profession for a reason. It demands expertise, experience, and commitment, like any other profession. But in addition to the above, it also requires integrity, knowledge of social issues, social responsibility, and civic virtue. You must be leaders and mentors in society," he said..[Read Full Speech]