Chief Justice of India BR Gavai recently said that constitutional courts in the country have acted as protectors of the rights of the people and as custodians of the Constitution. .He said that the courts have not only set aside legislation for violating the Constitution, but also stepped in when the executive or the legislature failed to protect citizens. “The Supreme Court, whenever it has been found that the amendment to the Constitution violates the basic structure, has set aside the legislation. Whenever the Supreme Court has found that any of the laws, as enacted by the state legislature and the Parliament, are beyond the permissible limits of the institution, such laws have been set aside by the higher courts, the constitutional courts in the country. No doubt that the power has to be exercised in a very restricted manner, and in rare cases,” he said. .He added that the new breed of young lawyers coming through is much better prepared to handle the challenges of the legal profession. “They have already adopted the technology, they are well-versed in research,” he said. .CJI Gavai was speaking at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He was joined by Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath.The session was moderated by Dr Deval Desai, and concluding remarks were given by Advocate-on-Record Tanvi Dubey..Justice Nath highlighted that over the years, the scope of the written word in the Constitution has been widened to give true meaning to individual rights, and cannot be confined to a few letters or made subject to a restricted definition. “The right to privacy was extended the status of a fundamental right in our country just a few years ago, as in today's age, it is almost unfathomable to imagine a citizen calling himself free, but not being able to claim privacy as a guaranteed right,” he said. On the issue of female representation in the judiciary, he said that the number of women in judicial services is rising, and that their representation at the High Courts and the Supreme Court will also improve soon.“In judicial services, you will find that 50% or more women are being selected as judicial officers. So, the numbers are increasing and I think in another 10 to 15 years, they will take over and they will be, you know, equal and equal."
