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Time to reinforce predictability in judicial approach: CJI Surya Kant
Justice Kant remarked that justice cannot operate like a set of instruments that initially produce harmonious notes in isolation but descend into discord when played together
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Wednesday delivered a call for predictability within the judiciary itself, urging the evolution of a uniform national judicial policy that could ensure coherence across courts and prevent fragmentation of legal outcomes.
Speaking at a commemorative event on the Constitution Day, the CJI said that the time had come for the judiciary to consciously minimise divergence that often arises merely due to the multiplicity of high courts and the presence of several benches of the Supreme Court, as he warned that inconsistency undermines both access to justice and public confidence.
“The time is also ripe for us to reinforce predictability in our judicial approach,” he said, emphasising that a structured, institutional framework could enable courts across jurisdictions to speak with clarity and consistency.
Justice Kant remarked that justice cannot operate like a set of instruments that initially produce harmonious notes in isolation but descend into discord when played together. Instead, he envisioned a judicial symphony -- many voices and languages united by a common constitutional rhythm, capable of delivering uniformity without sacrificing diversity.
As the nation marked 76 years of the Constitution’s adoption, the CJI anchored his message in the core guarantee of access to justice, describing it as the foundational promise upon which all other rights rest. Without meaningful access, he said, liberties risk becoming “ornamental” and constitutional guarantees lose resonance in the lives of ordinary citizens.
Justice Kant acknowledged a troubling gap between constitutional aspiration and the lived experiences of people, particularly the most marginalised, for whom the ideal of access to justice can still be elusive due to cost, distance, language and delay. Predictability, affordability, and timeliness must therefore become the three supporting pillars of meaningful access, he said, if the judiciary is to fulfil its constitutional fidelity.
The CJI called for immediate attention to judicial infrastructure, clarifying that it extends far beyond buildings and courtrooms. True infrastructure, he explained, encompasses technological and administrative systems, as well as human capital necessary for the justice system to function effectively.
He also underscored the importance of strengthening complementary pathways beyond formal adjudication, including institutionalised alternate dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms, technology-enabled processes, and systems that enhance credibility and reduce barriers. Access to justice, he said, cannot be achieved through a single measure but only through collaboration among institutions working in concert under a shared constitutional mandate.
