CJI Surya Kant Launches Legal Education Series, Nyaya Shiksha Samman

Home / Top Stories CJI Surya Kant Launches Monthly Lecture Series, Nyaya Shiksha Samman At Supreme Court To Promote Legal Education X CJI Surya Kant launches the Supreme Court Nyaya Shiksha Samman and Monthly Lecture Series on Law, Justice and Legal Education CJI Surya Kant inaugurated the Monthly Lecture Series on Law, Justice and Legal Education and the Annual Supreme Court Nyaya Shiksha Samman, with Prof. Ranbir Singh named as the inaugural award recipient Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Wednesday inaugurated the Annual Supreme Court Nyaya Shiksha Samman and the Monthly Lecture Series on Law, Justice and Legal Education, describing the initiatives as platforms for sustained engagement with ideas, scholarship and the development of law. Addressing the inaugural programme, CJI Surya Kant said the legal profession needed occasions to step back from the immediate demands of litigation and reflect on the ideas that sustain the legal system. “Every profession has moments when it must pause from the demands of practice and reflect upon the ideas that sustain it,” he said. The CJI said the legal profession, in particular, depended on such reflection as law was continuously tested against changing circumstances, emerging questions and the aspirations of society. He said the initiative had been conceived to create a space for “conversation and reflection” and would bring a distinguished jurist, scholar, legal educationist or expert to the Supreme Court every month to examine an important question beyond the immediate demands of adjudication. “One important idea, every month,” CJI Surya Kant said, explaining the central idea behind the lecture series. He emphasised that while courts must remain focused on deciding cases and lawyers on advancing arguments, the legal system also benefited from opportunities to reflect on the larger ideas shaping law and its administration. The monthly lectures will also be accompanied by an “Ideas Dialogue”, providing young advocates, law students and researchers an opportunity to interact with the speakers and place their questions and perspectives before them. “I hope that this will become an important feature of the programme, synchronizing the courtroom and the classroom,” the CJI said. Nyaya Shiksha Samman to recognise contribution to legal education The Monthly Lecture Series has been launched alongside the Supreme Court Nyaya Shiksha Samman, an annual honour recognising distinguished contributions to legal education. CJI Surya Kant said the strength of the legal system depended considerably on the quality of its judges, advocates, scholars and administrators, while emphasising the role played by teachers in preparing successive generations of legal professionals. “Behind every generation of legal professionals stands a generation of teachers who gave them their first understanding of the law, introduced them to its methods and values, and encouraged them to think critically and independently,” he said. The CJI described the Nyaya Shiksha Samman as an acknowledgement of teaching as a form of public service, noting that students trained by teachers would ultimately shoulder responsibility for interpreting, practising and developing the law. Personal connection with teaching CJI Surya Kant also spoke about his personal connection with the teaching profession, recalling that his father had spent his working life as a teacher . “My father spent his working life as a teacher, and I grew up seeing the discipline, preparation, and commitment that teaching requires,” he said. Recalling a lesson from his childhood, the CJI said his family often emphasised that “shiksha hi sabse bada dhan hai”, meaning education is the greatest wealth a person can possess. He said the thought had particular relevance to the legal profession, where learning did not end with the completion of a law degree. “The law continues to evolve, new questions continue to emerge, and every Judge, lawyer, and academician rem