Judges Must Honour Judicial Dharma Over Career Prospects, Personal Liberty Cannot Be Sacrificed For Collective Interest: Justice Nagarathna
A Supreme Court judge has stressed that judicial independence requires more than institutional safeguards — it demands personal commitment to constitutional duty. Addressing the Justice T S Krishnamoorthy Iyer Memorial Lecture at the Kerala High Court, the judge observed that unpopular decisions must not be avoided out of concern for elevation, extension, or official displeasure. A judicial opinion, she said, is an articulation of constitutional conviction, not a negotiation document. Dissenting and separate opinions reflect genuine independence of judicial thought and must not be diluted for consensus.
