In an initiative shedding the colonial imprint and traditional attributes, the statue of Lady Justice, in the judges’ library of the Supreme Court, now holds a copy of the Indian Constitution, instead of a sword, and the blindfold has come off to leave her with open eyes.
The change effected under the tenure of incumbent Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, now signals that the law in the country is not blind and does not merely symbolise punishment.
Traditionally, the blindfold suggested equality before the law, meaning that the dispensation of justice should not be influenced by the status, wealth, or power of the parties. The sword historically symbolised authority and the capacity to punish injustice.
However, the new statue is being seen as an attempt to leave the colonial legacy behind while underlining the message that the law is not blind in new India. It now stands tall at the judges’ library in the Supreme Court. Justice Chandrachud believes that the law is not blind and everyone is equal before it.
However, the scales of justice in the right hand of Lady Justice have been retained, symbolizing a societal balance and the significance of careful consideration of facts and arguments from both sides before arriving at a verdict. Last month, President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the new flag and insignia of the Supreme Court to commemorate the 75th year of its establishment.
Under CJI Chandrachud’s tenure, the SC began live-streaming proceedings of the Constitution Bench on YouTube and used artificial intelligence and natural language processing technology for live transcription of such hearings of national importance. The judicial hearings in the NEET-UG matter and R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital suo moto case garnered huge public views.
In a departure from colonial influences, like the replacement of the colonial-era penal code with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the new Lady Justice signifies that the law in the country sees everyone equally as mandated under the Constitution. The might of the Constitution, not of the sword, prevails in the justice delivery process.