Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Sunday emphasised that constitutional justice in India cannot be confined to the Supreme Court in New Delhi, underlining the pivotal role played by the country’s 25 High Courts in protecting fundamental rights, upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability in the exercise of public power.
Addressing the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court, marking 70 years of the institution, the CJI said India’s constitutional framework derives its strength from a robust network of High Courts, each entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding constitutional values and providing effective remedies to citizens.
“Constitutional Justice in India does not begin and end in New Delhi,” he observed, stressing that the Supreme Court and High Courts are not competing destinations for justice but constitutional partners performing complementary responsibilities.
The CJI said High Courts occupy a distinctive position because of their proximity to citizens and their understanding of regional realities. Whether a dispute concerns the livelihood of fishermen along the Malabar coast, agricultural land in Wayanad or the rights of workers in Kochi, these institutions are better placed to appreciate the immediate human consequences of governmental decisions and legal disputes.
Congratulating the Kerala High Court on completing seven decades, CJI Surya Kant said the milestone provided an opportunity to reflect not only on its institutional journey but also on the constitutional principles it had upheld and the responsibilities awaiting it.
Tracing the institution’s historical foundations, he noted that the Kerala High Court, established in 1956, inherited a rich judicial legacy from the erstwhile Travancore and Cochin administrations. This tradition had evolved through the Travancore High Court, established in 1887, and the Travancore-Cochin High Court, constituted in 1949, before the present institution came into existence.
He observed that the Kerala High Court had distinguished itself not merely through its longevity but also through its pioneering contribution to the evolution of India’s judicial system. Recalling its contribution to gender representation in the judiciary, he noted that Justice Anna Chandy became India’s first woman High Court judge, while Justice M. Fathima Beevi subsequently made history as the first woman judge of the Supreme Court.
Highlighting the institution’s contribution to constitutional jurisprudence, the CJI referred to its interventions concerning environmental protection and the expansion of fundamental rights. He particularly recalled the landmark 1999 decision prohibiting smoking in public places, observing that the High Court had recognised the implications of passive smoking on the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
He said the ruling reflected remarkable constitutional foresight, as it recognised the right to breathe clean and smoke-free air at a time when the dangers of passive smoking had not received adequate public attention. The decision demonstrated how constitutional courts could anticipate emerging societal concerns and employ the law to adv
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