Our Constitution is premised on rule of law: Vice President Hamid Ansari

Raipur: Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Saturday said the Constitution embodies the modern concept of "rule of law" with the establishment of a judicial system, which should be able to work independently.

"Ours is a society that professes to live by laws and legal education ultimately ensures the efficiency of the justice administration system in the country," he said.

The Vice-President was speaking on the subject 'Rule of law as foundation of justice, democratic and liberal India', while delivering a keynote address at?3rd?convocation of Hidayatullah National Law University at Naya Raipur.

"Our founding fathers resolved to make India a sovereign, democratic, republic with a view to secure to all its citizens justice, liberty and equality and thereby achieve fraternity that would assure the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.

"To this end, we adopted the Constitution of India as the fundamental law of the land to guide us in all matters of legislative, executive and judicial action.

"The Constitution of India embodies the modern concept of rule of law with the establishment of a judicial system, which should be able to work impartially and free from all influences," Ansari said.

Referring to a saying of an American judge, he said, "The aim of a law school is not to make men smart but to make them wise in their calling."

Highlighting a quote of Lord Denning (an English lawyer and judge), Ansari said, "A lawyer without a background in history and literature is like a mason whose only job is to fix brick upon brick, but with a strong background of history and literature, a lawyer is an architect who can visualise the entire edifice that will endure for decades."

Stressing on access of justice to needy people, he said public esteem for the judiciary has been reinforced by its activism to apply correctives on matters of concern.

Speaking on the occasion, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh appealed to the budding lawyers to work in Naxal- affected areas to ensure justice to downtrodden people who are deprived of human rights.

He also announced sanction of Rs 61.50 crore for undertaking development works in the university premises. Meanwhile, 209 law graduates received degrees at the programme.