India's decision to supply COVID vaccines to other countries an example of Constitutional Morality: Justice Surya Kant

Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant on Monday hailed India's decision to supply COVID-19 vaccines to 80 other nations who could not have accessed it, and termed it an example of Constitutional morality. .He said that the concept of Constitutional morality as propounded in the Kesavananda Bharati case is different to what he interprets it."It was important to vaccinate people in poorer regions of this world where vaccines were not readily available. This was not just a governmental decision but shows solidarity and sharing. When we think of Constitutional morality, we need to think of common good but it does not mean it is subservient to societal norms or customs," said Justice Kant.The judge highlighted that the first mention of the concept was by Justice AN Ray in Kesavananda Bharati case."It speaks in essence of adherence to Constitutional values. But I feel it cannot be interpreted in abstract or vacuum," he opined."The principle of Constitutional morality will be guided by centuries' old morals which have steered our society from darkness to light," the judge emphasised..He was speaking as the chief guest at the 16th National Conference of the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad at Kurukshetra in Haryana on the topic '75 years of Resurgent Bharat: Changing contours of law and justice'. .Justice Kant in his speech also stressed on the importance of performing one's constitutional duties. "A judicial or legislative structure should not be seen in the mirror of rights only whether the legislature is enacting a law to provide a right or judiciary is interpreting it to provide a right. But all the rights enacted is for a price and the price is duty," he said. .Hence, he said that in the coming years, we must strive to identify duties and ensure that duties are complimentary to rights."In the next 75 years, we must identify the different kind of duties and be honest to those duties. Rights and duties must be made complimentary to each other and time has come for that," the Supreme Court judge said..[Read Live Coverage of the Event]