In a significant event marking the 75th anniversary of the Supreme Court of India, President Droupadi Murmu released three seminal publications. The publications are a collection of essays analyzing the court's jurisprudence since its inception and two studies assessing legal-aid cells in universities and the state of prisons.

*The Three Publications:*

- *Justice for the Nation: Reflections on 75 Years of the Supreme Court of India*: A compilation of essays by retired judges, jurists, academics, and lawyers, critically examining key themes and trends in the court's jurisprudence.


- *Prisons in India: Mapping Prison Manuals and Measures for Reformation and Decongestion*: A study analyzing prison manuals of all states and union territories, highlighting areas for improvement, including menstrual equity, reproductive rights, and de-addiction initiatives.


- *Legal Aid Through Law Schools: A Report on the Working of Legal Aid Cells in India*: A report assessing the functioning of legal-aid cells in universities, identifying areas for improvement, and emphasizing their role in supplementing state legal aid programs and developing law students' skills.

In his address at the function organized on this occasion, Chief Justice of India, Dr. Justice DY Chandrachud, emphasized the importance of self-reflection in the pursuit of excellence, stating that these publications provide valuable tools for judges, lawyers, and citizens to understand the direction of the law. 

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said that - “It is nigh on impossible to understate the importance of the publications which are being released today. Of the three publications, one is a collection of essays which analyse the jurisprudence of the court since its foundation and the remaining two are studies which assess the functioning of legal-aid cells in universities and the state of prisons, respectively. All three publications are moments of self-reflection, both for the Supreme Court as well as the larger legal system. For any institution, the pursuit of excellence necessitates the deliberate act of self-reflection. As part of this process, we must carefully assess our past and present and use what we extract to inform our actions in the future.

While the compendium serves as a valuable tool for judges, lawyers, and citizens to ruminate on the direction the law has taken in the past several decades, the reports provide valuable data and analysis which will enable various actors in the legal system, including courts, the Legal Services Authorities at the national, state, and district levels, and legislative bodies, to better understand the nature of problems which prevail at the grassroots. It is only after understanding these problems accurately that appropriate, effective solutions can be crafted and implemented. Without a clear picture of ground realities, laws and policies will have limited impact and may even entrench existing problems.

I must take this opportunity to thank President Murmu not only for accepting our invitation to attend this function but also for her stirring speech at the Constitution Day celebrations in 2022. On that day, she highlighted the plight of prisoners and in particular, undertrials, in our jails. Her speech kindled a conversation at the Supreme Court and culminated in one of the reports being released today. It is titled Prisons in India: Mapping Prison Manuals and Measures for Reformation and Decongestion. This report is a result of the President’s vision and it is but appropriate that it is being released by her. Thank you, President Murmu. I daresay that this is an example of what can be achieved when the different branches of the state share a constitutional goal.

This report analyses the prison manuals of all States and Union Territories and tests its provisions on the touchstone of the Constitution. It also examines the role of the district judiciary in adjudicating applications for bail, the use of alternative punishments for convicted persons and their reformation. The report deals with certain aspects of prisons that have seldom received institutional attention, such as menstrual equity and reproductive rights for female prisoners and de-addiction initiatives. One of the significant findings of the study was that the caste of prisoners often determined the work which they are allotted, with inmates from oppressed castes being allotted tasks related to sanitation. As I recently held in my judgment in Sukanya Shanta v. Union of India, such provisions and practices are unconstitutional and are an affront to the dignity of prisoners. Holding that such discrimination cannot be brooked, my brother judges and I directed all States and Union Territories to amend their prison manuals such that caste-based discrimination is no longer permitted or practiced. Instrumentalities of the state will no doubt find the report useful while framing policies in relation to prisons.

The second report which is being released today is titled Legal Aid Through Law Schools: A Report on the Working of Legal Aid Cells in India. Legal aid clinics are meant to perform two equally crucial functions. They are aimed at supplementing the state’s legal aid programs as well as developing the skills of law students. In the process, it is hoped that they inculcate a sense of service to society in each generation of lawyers. It is therefore essential for the legal community to direct its attention to legal aid clinics and ensure their proper functioning. Our report is a much-needed step in this direction.

While other published studies on this topic surveyed fewer than fifteen clinics, a whopping eighty-three cells participated in the survey undertaken by the Centre for Research and Planning for the purpose of this report. The findings of the study will be doubly valuable because of the large sample size. The report highlights over seventeen areas for the improvement of legal aid clinics. For instance, it finds that more than half of the cells assessed have not engaged advocates to supervise and assist the students. It also found that legal literacy was the main focus of most clinics and that assistance in the form of legal advice or drafting of court documents was rarely provided. Most of these insights can be addressed by law schools without external assistance. Even those legal aid cells which have not participated in the survey stand to benefit from the report.

Last but not least, we will be releasing the book Justice for the Nation: Reflections on 75 Years of the Supreme Court of India. Retired judges, eminent jurists, academics, and lawyers have contributed to this volume of essays which critically analyse key themes and trends in the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court. The essays cover numerous topics ranging from the late Mr Fali Nariman’s discussion of preambular values to Dr Upendra Baxi’s exploration of the limits of judicial review. A number of chapters address the evolution of different fundamental rights, from those related to gender and disability to free speech and caste. I hope – nay, I am certain – that this volume will catalyse a lively discussion amongst the public and the legal community on the role of the Supreme Court in our democracy.

Before concluding, I extend my hearty congratulations to the Centre for Research and Planning, the administrative staff, the support staff and to everyone else who contributed to these publications in different capacities. Your tireless work has resulted in the quality publications which we will now release.”