Jaipur, Feb 21 (NationPress) The Chief Justice of India (CJI), Surya Kant, delivered an inspiring address at the 18th Convocation Ceremony of the National Law University (NLU), Jodhpur, encouraging young graduates to perceive law as a dynamic and evolving institution rather than a static entity.

In his speech themed 'From Fortress to Forum – Law in an Unfinished Republic,' the CJI emphasized that law must progress alongside society, serving as a space for dialogue, rights, and accountability.

He compared early legal systems to the renowned Mehrangarh Fort, stating they were constructed like fortifications designed to protect society from disorder.

However, in a modern constitutional democracy, law must shift into a forum where differences can be discussed, rights are expressed, and power is held accountable through reason rather than resistance.

He cautioned graduates against viewing law as a completed product, stressing that, unlike scientific formulas, law grows with human experience.

Quoting Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., he remarked, “The life of the law has not been logic; it has been experience.”

The CJI pointed out that the Indian Constitution is a living document, interpreted by each generation according to contemporary realities.

He traced the development of legal principles from the Magna Carta (1215) to modern constitutional provisions ensuring equality, dignity, and liberty. He highlighted that Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law, has transitioned from a formal notion to a mechanism for achieving substantive justice.

CJI Kant cautioned that law risks becoming a “fortress” once more if it grows overly complicated, filled with jargon, and accessible only to the elite.

“Your mission is not to complicate law but to make it clearer; not to restrict the forum, but to expand it,” he advised the graduating class.

He stressed that law is a public trust, and lawyers should prioritize integrity, clarity, and conscience over spectacle and convenience.

He commended NLU Jodhpur for becoming one of India’s premier law schools, noting that its alumni are influential across the judiciary, academia, corporate law, and public service.

He remarked that such institutions have a duty to ensure that legal excellence does not lead to exclusion. In a lighter moment, he reminisced about campus life at NLU Jodhpur, recalling student rivalries, mess hall discussions, and social settings as “forums” where ideas and friendships flourished.

In concluding his speech, he urged graduates to be architects of an open legal forum, rather than guardians of a closed fortress.

“May your advocacy open doors instead of raising walls. May your work make law more accessible, not more distant,” he expressed.

He also extended congratulations to parents, faculty, and the graduating class, wishing them success in their future endeavors.