# CJI Surya Kant defends lawyers’ role in questioning authority 2026-08-15T13:15:47+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said lawyers’ instinct to test state authority against justice, fairness and the rule of law remains relevant today. He was speaking at the Supreme Court Bar Association’s Independence Day function on the Supreme Court lawns on Saturday. The CJI said lawyers must look beyond the existence of a rule and examine whether the use of power respects liberty, equality and dignity. He described India’s freedom struggle as a sustained challenge to colonial rule through political movements, petitions, public debate and law, rather than primarily an armed insurrection. Courts, he added, remain places where people assert constitutional rights, challenge arbitrary action and seek equal treatment. ## Coverage - barandbench.com Tags: India, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Bar Association, Surya Kant Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/cji-surya-kant-defends-lawyers-role-in-questioning-authority/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/cji-surya-kant-defends-lawyers-role-in-questioning-authority/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.