Human dignity soul of Constitution: CJI B R Gavai

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India B R Gavai Wednesday said dignity serves as a guiding principle that connects rights, allowing the judiciary to develop a coherent framework for constitutional adjudication - whether in context of prisoners, workers, women or persons with disabilities.

Delivering the keynote address at the 11th L M Singhvi memorial lecture, CJI Gavai said the judiciary has always emphasised human dignity as the soul of the Constitution . He described it as a pervasive principle that underlines the spirit and philosophy of the Constitution, shaping the core values articulated in the Preamble - liberty, equality, fraternity and justice - across a wide array of judgments through the 20th and 21st century.

"SC has consistently recognised that human dignity is both substantive right and a normative lens through which all fundamental rights must be understood. It has been employed not only to safeguard a dignified existence for individual citizens but also as a constitutional tool to expand, interpret and harmonize rights," he said.

By anchoring constitutional interpretation in dignity, he added, SC has ensured Constitution remains a living instrument responding to evolving societal challenges while staying faithful to foundational values.

LS Speaker Om Birla, at the lecture, said that speedy justice is central to dignity.