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Judgments must be clear and accessible to all, says justice Vikram Nath
Speaking at the second Ashoke Kumar Sen Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on Friday evening, Justice Nath said that just as the Constitution “speaks to everyone”
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New Delhi: Supreme Court judge justice Vikram Nath has underscored the need for court judgments to be written in a manner that is accessible to ordinary people, stressing that clarity in judicial reasoning is an act of respect towards the public.
Speaking at the second Ashoke Kumar Sen Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on Friday evening, Justice Nath said that just as the Constitution “speaks to everyone”, judicial decisions too must be written in a voice that is steady, clear and understandable.
“We on the Bench should hold ourselves to the same measure: clear reasons, a steady tone, and decisions that ordinary people can read and follow… The Constitution speaks to everyone; our judgments should do the same,” said the Supreme Court judge.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Jayanta Mitra and Sanjiv Sen also spoke at the event.
Justice Nath traced Sen’s legacy to pivotal reforms, particularly the Advocates Act, 1961, which abolished colonial-era hierarchies in the legal profession and opened the field to a unified class of advocates. The reform, he said, “did not just tidy up labels; it changed how young people could enter and grow in the law” by making the profession more merit-based and mobile.
The lecture also emphasised the centrality of reading and legal learning to public life. Justice Nath described the library as “a workshop for the future”, arguing that wide reading equips lawmakers, lawyers and judges with the humility, patience and generosity needed for fair and thoughtful decision-making. Quoting Rabindranath Tagore, he said institutions must be prepared to respond to questions of a new generation—about technology, speech, identity and dignity—without being confined by yesterday’s frameworks.
Addressing young lawyers in particular, Justice Nath highlighted the value of small professional habits, such as punctuality, respect, straightforward language and willingness to learn from error. “These small habits, repeated over years, become character,” he said, adding that character ultimately earns trust, and trust is what leads to responsibility in law. For judges too, the lesson was to “deal with disagreement without raising one’s voice” and to ensure that clarity remains a constant practice, not an afterthought.
As India’s legal system confronts new questions involving artificial intelligence, digital rights, economic fairness and environmental stewardship, Justice Nath said the ethos embodied by Sen remains vital: “Use your influence to build institutions, not just reputations. Use your skill to sharpen justice, not just arguments.” The true tribute to Sen, he concluded, lies not in ceremonial remembrance but in daily choices to speak clearly, work steadily and honour the law as a humane system of reasoning and fairness.
