Row over Lady Justice statue in SC: Bar objects to ‘unilateral’ design change

The row over the new Lady Justice statue unveiled in the Supreme Court took a new turn after the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) passed a resolution stating that the change was made “unilaterally” without consulting them. In the resolution issued on Tuesday, the SCBA headed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal opposed the changes to the apex court’s emblem and the new statue where the blindfolded Lady Justice has been shown with her eyes open and the sword in one hand replaced with the Constitution of India. The resolution, signed by members of the executive committee of SCBA, said, “We are equal stakeholders in the administration of justice but these changes when proposed, were never brought to our attention. We are totally clueless on the rationale behind these changes.” Terming the changes made as “radical”, the resolution stated that the bar ought to have been consulted over the changes and opposed to the same being done “unilaterally”. The bar body further objected to the Judges Library in the Supreme Court building being converted into a museum. “We unanimously oppose the proposed museum in the high security zone and press our demand for a library and cafe-cum-lounge for our members instead.” The new Lady Justice statue in white is shown wearing a sari and holds the weighing scale of justice in one hand and the Constitution of India in the other. While unveiling the new statue last year, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud had stated that the law seems everyone equal explaining why the blindfold is shed. The new statue was seen as an attempt to shed the colonial legacy behind the underpinning that ‘Law is blind’. While the scales represent balance and fairness in dispensing justice, the sword which symbolised punishment was replaced with the Constitution. The statue has since been installed in the judges’ library in the Supreme Court. The new statue kicked up a political row after Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) faction leader Sanjay Raut termed it as the “BJP-RSS propaganda”. Raut questioned the need to replace the sword and removing the blindfold by saying, “They are already killing the Constitution and by removing the blindfold from the statue, they want everyone to openly see corruption and murder of the Constitution.” “The court’s job is to protect the Constitution and serve justice as per the Constitution. What are they trying to prove by replacing the sword in the hand of the justice statue with the Constitution?” Raut added. Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, meanwhile, welcomed the changes introduced to the ‘Nyay ki Devi’ (Lady of Justice). Speaking to ANI a week ago, he said, “The new design is a great way to pay respect to the country’s Constitution... In an earlier era, they said that justice is blind, and that justice is served on the basis of the Constitution and the law. But when the judge delivers justice, how can it be done without seeing?” The six-feet tall statue made with fibre glass has been designed by muralist Vinod Goswami, who teaches at the Delhi College of Art. The image of the Lady Justice, traditionally black wearing a gown, traces back to the Greek and Roman mythology. It was introduced by the British in India in buildings of the Calcutta and Bombay high courts.