Today, at the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Jharkhand High Court, Justice Suryakant delivered a reflective and forward-looking address, describing the occasion as a “proud privilege and a profound honour.” He revisited his early experience on the Bench, narrating an urgent cross-border custody dispute involving two minor children. Recalling the moment, he said the anguish of the children made him realise that “justice is not only about resolving disputes, but about protecting the innocent from being lost in the storms of circumstance.” He added that the case shaped his understanding that a judge is entrusted not merely with the interpretation of law but with ensuring “that its protection reaches those who need it most.”
Justice Suryakant connected this experience to the evolution of institutions, observing that Institutions too “must embody empathy and resolve.” He said the celebration is not just a marking of years but “a tribute to our constitutional goals realized through effort and the steadfast belief that justice belongs to all.”
Turning to the Constitution, he described it as “a living contract” that expresses justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. He highlighted that these ideals must be lived daily by a system “devoted to the Rule of Law.” Discussing the country’s justice delivery structure, he said High Courts serve as the “bridge between the citizen and the Constitution,” shaping the daily experience of constitutional ideals.
Referring to Article 226 of the Constitution, he emphasised that High Courts are empowered not only to enforce Fundamental Rights but also “to protect legal rights of every kind,” allowing them to act swiftly and effectively against injustice and ensuring justice remains “local, immediate, and within reach.”
He stressed that this combination of broad powers and proximity makes High Courts “vital engines for legal development and social reform.” He noted that because each High Court evolves in conversation with its own region, justice gains a “local heartbeat,” becoming human, inclusive, and transformative.
Speaking about the Jharkhand High Court, he described its first 25 years as a “saga of persistence and progress.” He recalled how, from its formative years, the Court treated each challenge as an opportunity “to further the ethos of the Constitution.” He cited its landmark judgments safeguarding tribal groups from displacement, upholding the dignity of workers, protecting forests and rivers, and allowing mineral extraction while applying the inter-generational equity doctrine.
He also pointed to the Court’s adaptability, noting its use of “e-filing, real-time case tracking, searchable databases, and dashboards for visually-challenged persons,” which have transformed litigation and allowed citizens to approach the Court “with confidence and dignity.”
Justice Suryakant also highlighted the humanitarian outreach of Judges serving in the State Legal Services Authority, where their judicial insight helps design legal literacy and access-to-justice programmes. This synergy, he said, allows the Court to protect rights inside the courtroom while guiding change at the community level.
Looking ahead, he said the justice system must prepare for a world shaped by technology, climate pressures, demographic shifts, digital evidence, cyber-offences, environmental degradation, resource conflicts, rising caseloads and uneven access to representation. These challenges require courts to rethink traditional models.
He stated that High Courts must envision their growth like a modern hospital designs its emergency services equipped to respond “swiftly, decisively, and with precision.” Just as an emergency ward cannot afford delay, courts must aim for “preparedness, efficiency, and coordinated response.” He stressed the importance of strengthening technology, streamlining procedures, building specialised expertise and ensuring processes can adapt instantly to emerging situations.
He noted that these are “not mere administrative ideas,” but the next step in the evolution of access to justice.
Concluding his address, he said, “Twenty-five years mark a moment to look back in gratitude and look forward with hope.” He thanked all who have shaped the institution Chief Justices, Judges, officers and lawyers stating that each has added a verse to the “song of justice,” which remains “sonorous with perseverance and resolve.” He expressed hope that the Jharkhand High Court’s legacy will endure “not just for the next twenty-five years, but for the lifetimes yet to come.”
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