Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Friday held an unprecedented open-house interaction with law students at Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna, engaging directly with questions from the audience in an unscripted dialogue on issues concerning students, the legal profession and the judiciary.
The interaction, hosted at the university’s Ashoka Auditorium, was organised jointly by the Academic and Debating Committee and the Legal Aid Cell at the initiative of the students. Patna High Court Chief Justice Justice V. Kameswar Rao, who is also the Chancellor of CNLU, attended the programme.
Responding to a student’s question concerning police action during peaceful student demonstrations, the CJI reaffirmed the judiciary’s role in safeguarding the fundamental right to peaceful protest. The interaction also turned to the difficulties encountered by young lawyers, particularly those entering the profession without established family or professional networks.
Referring to the case of Sarika Tyagi, Justice Surya Kant spoke in favour of creating a dedicated professional assistance corpus to provide financial support to young advocates during the initial years of practice. He emphasised that such assistance should be viewed not as charity but as an institutional measure necessary to strengthen the legal profession and ensure that financial constraints do not drive capable young lawyers away from the Bar.
The students also raised concerns over rising tuition fees and limited scholarship opportunities. The CJI assured them that the concerns would be taken up, with the assurance being described as having been placed “on record.”
A significant suggestion for reform came from CNLU Vice-Chancellor Professor Faizan Mustafa, who proposed restructuring the five-year integrated law course into four years of academic study followed by a compulsory year-long court apprenticeship. Under the proposal, the apprenticeship could also eliminate the need for a separate one-year practice requirement for candidates appearing for judicial service examinations.
Justice Surya Kant responded positively to the proposal, describing it as “a new, welcome idea.” The suggestion could open a broader discussion on bringing practical courtroom exposure within the formal architecture of legal education.
The students also questioned the CJI on the practice of recording dissenting views within the Collegium while not making such observations public. Explaining the concern surrounding disclosure, Justice Surya Kant pointed to the possible impact on the dignity and professional standing of judges whose names are under consideration. He questioned how a Chief Justice or judge could continue to function effectively if adverse observations concerning them were made public.
Justice V. Kameswar Rao endorsed the need for greater attention to judicial clerkships, particularly at High Courts such as the Patna High Court. He suggested that such opportunities should become more competitive, financially viable and professionally rewarding so that judicial institutions can attract talented law graduates who may otherwise be drawn towards corporate legal careers.
Concluding the interaction, Professor Mustafa expressed appreciation for the CJI’s interventions in matters affecting students, noting that several judicial orders had helped protect their careers and, in some cases, their lives. He also stressed the importance of law schools teaching students not merely legal knowledge but the ability to construct and present a cogent argument.
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