Constitution not a privilege of few cosmopolitans, belongs to every citizen: CJI Surya Kant

Constitution belongs to each citizens arsenic and is not a privilege of a fewer cosmopolitans who tin spend cost-bearing processes and prosecute the champion of the brains, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said.

The comments from CJI came connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) successful a code astatine the motorboat of elder advocator Indira Jaising's memoir 'The Constitution Is My Home: Conversations connected a Life successful Law'.

The Chief Justice, who was invited arsenic the main guest, could not be the lawsuit and sent a video clip extending his lukewarm greetings for the publication motorboat and expressed his regret for not being contiguous owed to an upcoming gathering of BRICS judges.

"The Constitution is genuinely our shared home. It belongs not to judges alone, nor to lawyers, State oregon nationalist authorities. It belongs arsenic to each citizen, beryllium it an urbanite oregon a ruralite, oregon the poorest of the poor, oregon the marginalised, who question justness wrong its model and spot religion successful its promises.

"The Constitution is not a privilege of a fewer cosmopolitans who tin spend cost-bearing processes and prosecute the champion of the brains to asseverate thing which our Constitution ne'er intended to offer," CJI Kant said.

He said the Constitution is not simply a ineligible substance governing nine from a region but is besides a changeless presence.

"It accompanies america successful courtrooms and chambers, successful arguments and deliberations. But its scope extends acold beyond ceremonial ineligible spaces and its power is yet measured successful the lives of citizens and successful the quality of our democracy," helium said.

Observing that constitutionalism is acrophobic with preserving coherence betwixt authorization and principle, the CJI said nationalist institutions relation champion erstwhile powerfulness and work are exercised successful a tone of balance, accountability, transparency and fidelity to foundational values.

"It is this continuing committedness that allows a antiauthoritarian nine to respond to changing circumstances portion preserving the ethos and ideals that prolong it," helium said.