Mapping the Constitutional Vision of Justice and its Realisation
| DOI | 10.1177/2277401720150101 |
| Published date | 01 August 2015 |
| Date | 01 August 2015 |
| Author | M.P. Singh |
| Subject Matter | Article |
MAPPING THE CONSTITUTIONAL VISION OF
JUSTICE AND ITS REALISATION
M.P. Singh*
The Constitution of India n owhere defines the term justice except
categorising it into social, economic and political. However
various theories of justice put forth by scholars of different hues
find reflection in the Constit ution. Aspects of various ideological
traditions may also be located in the Constit ution. The auth or
maps such terrain constituted by varied reading of the Constitu tion
by different scholars. T he author further d elves into working of
the Constitution with respect to realisation of the goal of justice
embodied therein. He specifically analyses the operationalisation
of the right to education, food, ho using, healthcare and
livelihood through legislative measures and executive initiatives
and emphasises the need to keep marching towards search for
complete justice and in the process secure mitigation of existing
injustices.
I. Introduction
The topic of the paper draws inspiration from the solemn resolve to
secure to all our citizens “JUSTICE, social, economic and political” which
marks the very beginning of our Constitution in the form of its Preamble.
The paper examines our position on this resolve after over sixty-five years
of its making, while at the same time analyses the constitutional approach
to justice from the perspective of the theories of justice and maps the terrain
constituted by the position of scholars with respect to the vision of justice
enshrined in the constitution.
* Visiting Professor, National Law University, Delhi.
The paper is based on the Prof. Ghanshyam Singh Memor ial Lecture del ivered by the
author in the National Law University, Delhi. As mark of respect for the invaluable
contribution of Prof Ghanshyam Singh to the cause of legal education the op ening words
of the lecture are bei ng reproduced here in verbatim. “A lecture in memory of a stud ent
is like reading an obitu ary for one’s child. Professor Ghanshyam Singh was my student
at Delhi University. Later he became a colleague at the same University and continued
for a number of years before he moved to NALSAR, Hyderabad and later to NLU Delhi.
During all these yea rs we remained close friends and i nteracted on a number of issues,
Prof. Ghanshyam Singh Memoria l Lecture
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