‘Constitutional thinking has to start from home’, says S. Muralidhar at Justice Unplugged 2026

KDR: Your views on the topic of the speech – ‘The Art of Constitutional Thinking: How to become good lawyers’

: Law is very present in everyone’s mind and dreams. The coverage of courts and lawyers over the last two decades has been extraordinary. After the advent of social media, everyone started seeing video clips of a lawyer or judge at work. I think there is increasing awareness that the courts play a very active role in people’s lives, whether we want it or not. Almost every aspect of life in India is governed by a court order, a law or some kind of legal policy. So everyone is interested in knowing what is going on in the courts and lawyers.

The only significant change that I have found, and this owes much to the change in legal education, is the emergence of national law schools and the arrival of the products of national law schools at the Bar.

Of course, some of them have been expelled from idealism and it is obvious that they want to practice from day one. But there is this trend. There is also a trend for national law school products to return to academia. That’s why they come back to teach at national law schools. Of course, there is division.

But overall, I think this also indirectly increases the quality among the members of the Board, because many of these young law students intern with judges. Many of them are legal researchers for judges. I know judges who try to perform better when they have a lot of young minds around them. There is a whole formation of public opinion pushing lawyers and judges to decriminalize homosexuality. Even the latest Sukanya Shanta judgment invalidated many provisions of prison guidelines that allowed separation of prisons on casting lines or delegation of duties to inmates. There are many young lawyers interacting with judges. I know many of them in the chambers that interrogate judges… I am not pessimistic. As you should all understand by now. I am an eternal optimist. And I think the good days are yet to come.

KDR: On the one hand, new branches of law are opening up, such as artificial intelligence management, and on the other hand, courts are increasingly hearing cases of a social nature. Do you believe that the ideals such as equality, fraternity, dignity and the right to life included in the Constitution should be inculcated at a very young age and develop as a natural way of thinking?

: We have many law reform laws that do not change social behavior. I start my words with this because lawyers are products of society, right? Judges are also among the lawyers. So if you look across the entire spectrum of the legal system, you don’t see that happening unless you start imbibing constitutional values ​​very early. This needs to start at home. You know, these events have been happening for a long time. We are in a country where we do not allow the provisions of the Constitution to influence our personal behavior. Change comes from your homes, from the social environment in which you grew up.

KDR: Law faculties are multiplying like mushrooms, different branches of law are emerging. The focus is largely on corporations and money-making law. Do you think the human aspect of law is diminished by the plaintiff becoming the victim?

: You may be pessimistic and say that this is why the percentage of lawyers advocating for the rights of the poor and defending their rights is very small. But I think the better way to look at this is to look at better examples in the current generation of lawyers where cases and cases are handled not for money, not for fame, but for belief in constitutional values. Look at the Square Circle, it’s very encouraging to see very young lawyers taking huge risks on their way to prison with sheer determination. These young lawyers visit prisons in the most remote corners of our country. Talking to prisoners sentenced to death penalty or life imprisonment, telling their stories… Young people come to the fore. It’s not like a transformative sea change, but it’s happening and that’s very encouraging.

KDR: There is a myth that you came to Delhi and initially served in a blue Maruti Omni van… Is it difficult to be a first-generation lawyer?

: So, in Chinese whispers, a white Maruti van turned blue. That’s the only change. I come from a middle class family. It is a privilege to be a law student in this country because you will not find a country as diverse as India. Law helps you encounter society in ways you may not encounter in other professions. Learning about your own society provides you with a tremendous opportunity to learn about discriminatory practices in your society. When you do human rights work, law and poverty work, you are also doing political work. You’ll need to find your way through it all. The good news is there’s enough room for all of us. There is enough room for the idealistic lawyer, the hard-working lawyer, the corporate lawyer, they can all stand shoulder to shoulder.

KDR: But are a lawyer’s dreams often dashed because they don’t have the start-up capital to get them through the early years of the struggle?

: All professions have struggles. There are inequalities in all professions. You know, when you hear the names of all the Bollywood stars, suddenly an opportunity comes along in your 35th year. Look at the great MG Ramachandran. He was a nobody until he turned 30. The beginning years of many professions are years of struggle.

KDR: Should laws be simplified?

: Definitely. Legal English is heavy on jargon. Litigants often know their case better than lawyers but cannot express it in court language. A lot is lost in translation. We must simplify laws and decisions so plaintiffs understand why they won or lost.