Legal profession is not for faint-hearted: CJI Surya Kant at NLSIU

Two months after students opposed CJI Surya Kant’s presence at the campus, he attended the convocation along with Karnataka CM D K Shivakumar in Bengaluru

NEW DELHI: Two months after students of National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, opposed his presence on the campus, CJI Surya Kant addressed them at the convocation ceremony and said the legal profession is not for the faint-hearted as it demands intellectual independence coupled with fairness and hearing a person before judging.Delivering the ‘Presidential address of the Chancellor’ on Saturday at the convocation, which was postponed after students and alumni of NLSIU opposed his presence, CJI Kant said the university, regarded as ‘Harvard of the East’, has “witnessed its fair share of quad parties and impromptu flash mobs in the courtyard!” Shifting to the serious task, he said the legal profession demands not only the mastery of statutes but also the courage to defend what is just, and the humility to listen to the voices that get drowned in cacophony.CJI Surya Kant at NLSIU said legal profession demands humility to listen to the voices that get drowned in cacophony.“This intellectual independence also calls for fairness: hearing before judging, distinguishing a person from a position and disagreeing without denying another person’s dignity,” he said.

He said the purpose of legal education is to enable law graduates to explore the situations beyond criminal and constitutional laws and gain experience from myriad real-life situations where many comprehend the world very differently than ourselves.

“Law will challenge your patience, test your ethics, and call upon the deepest reserves of your courage. But it will also reward you with the singular joy of service – the serene satisfaction of righting a wrong, the pride of defending liberty, and the honour of upholding the Constitution,” he said.Advising the students on the challenges that lie ahead of them in the challenging legal profession, the CJI said, “As you leave this campus, you step not only into a profession but into a calling.”