‘Moral integrity does not end careers in law, it defines them’- Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant

Context:  Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant,  said moral autonomy in the field of law did not end careers but defined them. “Standing by your conscience does not end paths — it defines them,” Justice Kant told graduates at the 33rd convocation at the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru.

• Key message:
• Ethical courage is an asset, not a liability.
• Lawyers must be guided by conscience while interpreting and applying the law.
• True success in law is measured by authenticity, integrity, and social responsibility.

1. Moral Integrity

• Definition:
• The consistency between one’s moral principles and actions, even when faced with personal loss or pressure.
• It means standing firm in truth and honesty despite temptations to deviate.
• Example in Law:
• A lawyer refusing to falsify evidence even if it means losing a lucrative case.
• Justice H.R. Khanna’s lone dissent in the ADM Jabalpur (Habeas Corpus) case, 1976, where he upheld citizens’ fundamental rights despite pressure during the Emergency — an act of moral integrity.

2. Moral Autonomy

• Definition:
• The ability to make ethical decisions based on one’s own reasoning and conscience, rather than blind obedience to authority, tradition, or external pressure.
• It reflects independence in moral judgment.
• Example in Law:
• A judge striking down an unjust law despite its popularity, because it violates constitutional morality.
• Justice K. Subba Rao in Kharak Singh v. State of UP (1962), recognizing the right to privacy long before it was explicitly guaranteed, shows moral autonomy in advancing justice.