Law must be tool for transformation, not just profession: Justice Surya Kant at NLSIU convocation

Bengaluru, Sep 7 (PTI) Bend the arc of justice toward the communities that need it most, Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant said on Sunday.

He urged the graduating class of 2025 at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, to use law not just as a profession but "as an instrument of transformation." Justice Kant was delivering the presidential address at the 33rd Annual Convocation of the university.

“Today, as you graduate, the question isn’t whether you have learned the law. It’s whether you are ready to reshape it, to bend the arc of justice toward the communities that need it most, and to transform legal practice from a mere career into a force for societal change,” he said.

He advised the new graduates to surround themselves with people whose character they trust, write down their non-negotiables, and always take time before making difficult decisions.

“Rushed choices in ethical matters often become lifelong regrets. When you know your standards in advance, you respond from conviction rather than confusion,” Justice Kant added.

In his convocation address, T N Ninan, former director and chairperson of Business Standard, said journalists and judges "have a symbiotic relationship." “The first is a watchdog, and the second is a respected arbiter of whether there was something to bark about,” Ninan said.

However, he noted that the system "works best only when all estates play their assigned roles." Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman of the Bar Council of India and Member of the Rajya Sabha, said it is the duty of every law graduate to uphold constitutional values.

“The Constitution of India is the heartbeat of our Republic. It is the living contract between the state and its people. It is the silent oath that every lawyer must take, whether or not it is spoken,” Mishra said.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Prof Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU, said the university is on course to erase the infrastructure deficits that have persisted since its founding in 1988.

“We will fundamentally reshape the public university education experience in India,” he added.

According to him, at the 33rd Convocation, 1,557 students graduated from various academic programmes.

“This includes 287 graduates of on-campus programmes and 1,270 graduates of off-campus programmes,” the VC said.

He also noted that 43 students from the third-year LLB (Hons) programme, including a Rhodes Scholar for 2025, will graduate for the first time.

“This new degree programme has demonstrated the university’s ability to develop and deliver academic programmes that retain and institutionalise the highest academic and professional standards,” he added.

This year, NLSIU awarded 52 gold medals to 26 graduates during the convocation. PTI JR SSK