NEW DELHI: A new Statue of Justice unveiled in the Supreme Court library for judges does not have the iconic blindfold and the sword. The new open-eyed statue instead holds a copy of the Constitution of India in the left hand. There, however, is no change in the scales of justice in her right hand.
The blindfold in the colonial era statue signified equality before the law. And the sword had represented authority and the power to punish injustice.
A well placed source said Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud believes that India should move forward from the British legacy. According to the CJI, the law is never blind; it sees everyone equally.
Quoting the CJI, the source said, “the statue should have the Constitution in one hand and not a sword, so that a message goes out to the country that she dispenses justice according to the Constitution.” While the sword is a symbol of violence, courts deliver justice according to constitutional laws, Justice Chandrachud reasoned.
The court complex already has a mural on the Lady of Justice in classical Indian attire with more or less the same theme. Holding the scales of justice in her right hand and looking upward at the scales, she stands atop a lotus.
Law not blind
Commissioned by the CJI, the idea behind removing the blindfold was to send a message that the law is not blind in India.