Criticism Must Respect Institutions: CJI
The CJI stressed that professional ethics must guide lawyers' conduct both inside and outside the courtroom.
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2026-10-28 20:12 GMT
NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Wednesday said differences of opinion and criticism were legitimate but must be expressed with fairness, restraint and respect for institutional integrity.
Addressing the second Monthly Lecture Series on Law, Justice and Legal Education, the CJI stressed that professional ethics must guide lawyers' conduct both inside and outside the courtroom.
"Differences of opinion and criticism are legitimate, but they must be expressed with fairness, restraint and respect for institutional integrity," he said.
Speaking on 'The Importance of Ethics in the Legal Profession', Justice Kant said the dignity of the justice system depended on how members of the Bar conducted themselves.
He said professional ethics had become particularly important in a world increasingly influenced by public visibility and commercial interests.
"We often measure professional success through the quality of arguments or the outcomes secured, yet, there is a more fundamental measure of a lawyer's professional life, the manner in which that success is achieved," he said.
The CJI said legal knowledge provided the tools of the profession, while ethics determined how those tools should be used.
He emphasised that the administration of justice depended on professional trust between the Bench and the Bar, with courts relying on advocates to present facts and legal arguments honestly.
He warned that when ethical standards weakened, the consequences extended beyond individual cases to public confidence in the justice system.
Justice Kant also stressed the importance of honesty in legal advice, diligence in representation, fairness in professional fees and sensitivity towards vulnerable litigants.
He said these values must be cultivated during legal education rather than treated merely as rules to be memorised.
"Ethical conduct must not be treated as an obligation to be recalled only when a complaint arises," he said, adding that integrity and accountability should guide everyday professional decisions.
IIULER, Goa, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Venkata Rao attended as the chief guest. Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Supreme Court Bar Association president Pradeep Kumar Rai also addressed the gathering.