CJI upholds dignity as the soul of the Constitution, and a cohesive force

The Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai on Wednesday (September 3, 2025) described human dignity as the “soul of the Constitution” which sources and binds together core values like personal liberty, freedom to choose, equality and fraternity.

The Supreme Court has championed the right to dignity through multiple judgments to better the lives of women, prisoners, ordinary workers, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised and minority groups over the decades, the Chief Justice said.

Through its interpretations of the value of dignity, the Supreme Court has ensured that the Constitution remained a living instrument, capable of responding to evolving societal challenges while remaining faithful to its foundational values, the CJI said.

Chief Justice Gavai was delivering the keynote address at the 11th Dr. L.M. Singhvi Memorial Lecture on ‘Human Dignity as the Soul of the Constitution: Judicial Reflections in the 21st Century’.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla; Member of Parliament and senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi; and Vice-Chancellor of the O.P. Jindal Global University C. Raj Kumar were present on the dais and spoke on the occasion. Former and serving judges, parliamentarians and senior advocates were part of the audience.

The CJI said the court has intervened to declare human dignity as a “Constitutional value that remains inviolable, even within the confines of incarceration”.

Thus, the court’s interventions were not limited to ensuring physical survival of the affected persons, but its verdicts had touched upon broader conditions which would enable the aggrieved and disempowered sections of society to lead a life of self-respect, freedom, and opportunity. 

“Human dignity is intrinsically connected to an individual’s autonomy and capacity to make decisions about their own life. It encompasses the freedom to exercise choice, personal agency, and self-determination,” Chief Justice Gavai said.

The Chief Justice said human dignity had been a central concern for the framers of the Constitution. It was a value which was deeply intertwined with their vision of a just and egalitarian society.

The CJI said his life’s journey to become the top judge of the country largely owed to values enshrined in the Constitution, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision.

Though the term ‘dignity’ was not defined in the Fundamental Rights chapter of the Constitution, the CJI said Supreme Court judgments had expanded its meaning to refer to the “intrinsic worth and respect owed to every human being simply by virtue of being human”.

“The respect for each individual is not merely a personal or social virtue, but a foundational principle for the cohesion of society itself. When the dignity of every citizen is recognised and protected, it promotes a sense of belonging, mutual respect, and solidarity, which are essential for maintaining national unity and harmony,” Chief Justice Gavai said.