“The law is not blind; it sees everyone equally.”
-Former CJI, DY Chandrachud
A new statue of Lady Justice, also known as the goddess Justitia, has been installed in the Supreme Court of India in an effort to reimagine the portrayal of justice. It depicts the Lady Justice wearing a saree, holding the Constitution in one hand and a scale in the other, without a blindfold. A more contemporary interpretation of Indian justice is reflected in the redesigned statue of Lady Justice. “Lady Justice” was depicted with her eyes covered by a blindfold in the earlier iteration. But the eyes of the new monument are open, signifying that “justice is no longer blind.”
While the scales still stand for impartiality, the new picture of Lady Justice embodies the principle preserved by the Indian Constitution, holding in her hand a commitment to justice based on constitutional values. The Constitution’s substitution for the sword serves as a reminder that the sword once stood for power and punishment and represents a change to a more morally upright and equitable system of justice. It represents a changing legal identity that rejects colonial emblems and adopts a justice system that is exclusively Indian. The new emblem of justice supports the idea that the Constitution serves as the cornerstone of the judiciary’s function and stands for the preservation of equality, rights, and justice above merely exacting revenge. The redesign of ‘Lady Justice’ is part of a larger attempt by the Indian courts to move past its colonial heritage and emphasize that the court’s purpose is to protect constitutional rights rather than to impose punishment. The updated ‘Lady Justice,’ which now stands for the Constitution as the supreme source of justice, embodies this ideology.
One element of ‘Lady Justice’ has not altered in spite of the modifications. The balance of justice is still symbolized by the scales in her right hand. These scales represent the objective evaluation of the data, guaranteeing that all sides are given equal weight prior to a decision being made. The justice scales stand for social balance and the notion that courts consider the arguments and facts presented by both sides before reaching a decision. As a result, the new legal system has been presented as conscious, watchful, and welcoming.