Letter To Editor | Lady Luck Smiles

The Supreme Court has unveiled a new statue of “Lady Justice”, reimagining the image — typically a blindfolded woman holding a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other — that is synonymous with legal practice around the world. The new, six-foot-tall statue in the judges’ library is of a saree-clad woman with no blindfold, holding scales and, instead of the sword, a copy of the Constitution of India. The blindfold in the classic rendition has been popularly understood to represent the impartiality of justice, whereas the new statue with unimpeded vision is meant to signify that Law is not blind; it sees everyone equally binding. The new take on the statue, which has been designed by Vinod Goswami, a muralist who teaches at the College of Art in Delhi, comes in the wake of legal reforms such as the new criminal codes, and the stated aim of “decolonising” the legal framework in India. The first Roman emperor Augustus introduced the worship of Justice in the form of a goddess known as Justitia. Justitia, like Themis, did not wear a blindfold. Along with the common law legal system that continues to serve as the basis for how India’s judiciary functions, the British Raj also introduced the iconography of Lady Justice. This image still survives in courthouses around the country. The new statue at the Supreme Court is very similar to another piece of art featured on the premises. A mural close to the judges’ entrance shows Mahatma Gandhi and Lady Justice on either side of a chakra; Lady Justice in this depiction is wearing a saree, and holding scales and a book instead of a sword.

Nikhil Akhilesh

Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now

Be Part of Quality Journalism

Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast.

ACT NOW