CJI Surya Kant Says Courts Will Protect Students’ Right to Peaceful Protest
Chief Justice of India says courts will not overlook alleged police excesses against peaceful student protesters
Patna: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said that the judiciary is committed to protecting students’ fundamental right to hold peaceful protests and that courts will not ignore cases involving alleged violations of that right.
The CJI made the remarks during an interaction with students at Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) in Patna on Saturday. According to a statement issued by the university, Surya Kant encouraged students to ask frank and direct questions during the session.
A female student reportedly asked about the police response to peaceful student protests. In response, the CJI said courts would not look the other way in cases involving allegations of police repression and reaffirmed the judiciary’s commitment to protecting the right to peaceful protest.
The question comes against the backdrop of protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi concerning allegations related to NEET examination paper leaks. The protests were also associated with the satirical online campaign known as the Cockroach Janata Party, which had emerged following remarks made by the CJI in the Supreme Court. Surya Kant had previously said that his remarks in that context were reported without their full context.
Questions on Collegium Transparency
Another student asked why dissenting views within the Supreme Court collegium are recorded but are not made public.
Responding to the question, the CJI said that disclosure, even when intended to promote transparency, could place the individual being considered for judicial appointment in a difficult position.
He also pointed to the need to balance transparency with personal dignity, asking how a judge could continue to work effectively if negative observations about them were included in publicly available collegium records.
Visit to CNLU
According to the university, CJI Surya Kant visited the CNLU campus along with Patna High Court Chief Justice V. Kameswar Rao, who also serves as the Chancellor of the university.
CNLU said the interaction was particularly significant in the context of recent opposition directed at the CJI at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad and National Law School of India University in Bengaluru.
Proposal to Restructure Law Course
During the interaction, the CJI also welcomed a proposal by CNLU Vice Chancellor and legal scholar Faizan Mustafa to restructure the five year law degree.
The proposal suggests four years of academic study followed by a mandatory final year of court apprenticeship. According to the university, the model could remove the need for a separate one year practice requirement for candidates appearing for judicial service examinations.
The interaction covered issues relating to students’ rights, judicial transparency and legal education, with the CJI responding to questions from students on various aspects of the justice system.