NEW DELHI, 28 JAN

On a ceremonial bench marking 75 years of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna said it was a "true people's court" that evolved into the world's most vibrant apex court, embodying the aspirations of 1.4 billion people.

"What began in 1950 as a successor to the federal court, has evolved into perhaps the world's most vibrant and dynamic apex court, one that truly embodies the aspirations and diversity of 1.4 billion Indians. What sets our Supreme Court apart on the global stage is its unique character as a true people's court," he said.

The apex court came into existence on 26 January, 1950 when the Constitution came into force and was inaugurated on 28 January, 1950.

It initially functioned from the old Parliament House and moved its functioning to the present building on Tilak Marg in 1958.

Justice Khanna said 75 years after the constitutional journey began, the Supreme Court stood transformed, yet anchored in its foundational mission.

"This transformation reflects a deeper recognition - that justice must be both principled and practical. In doing so, it makes the constitutional promise of justice - social, economic, and political - a living reality for millions of Indians," he said.

While the apex court's journey reflected remarkable evolution in rights and reach, three challenges demanded attention, said the CJI.

"Firstly, the weight of arrears which continues to delay justice. Secondly, mounting costs of litigation threatens true accessibility. Thirdly, and perhaps most fundamentally - justice cannot thrive where and when falsehood is practised," shared CJI Khanna.

The challenges marked the next frontier in the pursuit for justice, he said.

The CJI was a part of the ceremonial bench assembled to mark the diamond jubilee year of the Supreme Court.

CJI Khanna said the apex court remained accessible to the public and in its diversity of the judges in these courtrooms, the multitude of voices found representation at the highest level of our judiciary.

Referring to the journey of 75 years, he said each decade of the court's jurisprudence served as a mirror to our nation's challenges with several landmark judgements.

"What emerges is not an unmoving structure carved from sandstone, but a living, breathing institution. It has been responsive to the conscience of our democracy, adapting and evolving to embrace the complexities of each era while remaining rooted in the bedrock of constitutional values," said the CJI.

While terming the first decade of 1950s as ‘sunrise years’, he said the second decade of 1960s was ‘years of anchorage as well as discovery’.

The CJI termed the 1970s and 80s as "years of turbulence leading the way to social justice and equality jurisprudence".

"The 1990s ushered in an era where the Supreme Court not only remained vigilant in protecting individual rights but also stepped in to address legislative and executive gaps," added the CJI.

Justice Khanna said the two decades of the 21st century stood a testament to the apex court's evolving role in our constitutional framework.

"No other apex court worldwide navigates such an expansive domain – from personal liberty to environmental issues, from intellectual property rights to privacy to the right to information," he said.

Referring to the period from 2000s till now, he said the evolution began with strengthening electoral democracy by establishing voters' right to information about candidates as an extension to freedom of expression, which included the right to impart and receive information.

The CJI said apart from public law, the apex court's decisions strengthened India's economic landscape by injecting clarity, efficiency and fairness – be it the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code or the Arbitration and Conciliation Act.

He said the public understanding of justice evolved from a pure legal construct to a living force that touched lives across the nation.

The CJI said over the seven-and-a-half decades, the top court transformed the constitutional promise into a reality through its judgments.

Besides the CJI, attorney general R Venkataramani and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president and senior advocate Kapil Sibal shared their thoughts.

Sibal said right since its inception, the court has had no hesitation in deciding cases as per law, without undue favour to the all powerful state and with no regard to the political popularity of the policies in question.

"This court must be the champion of our Constitution and bring to life the values of constitutional morality hidden within the gold print of the Articles of the Constitution," he said.