Our Constitution has undergone more than a hundred amendments over the years, beginning from the first year of its existence While some amendments were necessitated with the passage of time and are, in a sense, not of considerable significance, others have been wideranging and extensive Except for the dark period during the internal emergency (1975–1977), the amendments have been positive and have expanded the horizons of freedom.
Significantly, the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution have not been amended to limit or restrict freedom, but only to expand the rights guaranteed to us Where the Constitution was silent or inadequate, the Supreme Court filled the void by a process of dynamic interpretation, drawing sustenance from Directive Principles of State Policy and International Covenants, leading to the creation and expansion of several unenumerated fundamental rights, making our rights jurisprudence a model for several developing countries.
Yet, it is a sad reality that full realization of the values enshrined in the Constitution remains a distant dream for a vast majority of our population There are several reasons for this, but two primary ones stand out: first, the lack of awareness among citizens of their rights and duties, and second, the systemic delays and hurdles in the administration of justice It is in this context that this volume, edited by Shruti Vidyasagar, Sandhya PR., Anindita Pattanayak, and Harish Narasappa, acquires great significance.The volume brings together sixteen wellresearched chapters written by legal scholars, practitioners, and researchers on diverse themes under four broad heads: Demonstrating CitizenCentric Justice, Group Identities, Systemic Conundrums, and Institutional Responses Each chapter critically analyses the role of the judiciary in developing rights jurisprudence and upholding constitutional values.
The individual chapters touch upon a wide range of critical issues including dignity, equality, workplace sexual harassment, free speech, contempt of court, abolition of untouchability, religious freedom, environmental jurisprudence, participatory democracy, parliamentary privileges, corporate insolvency, preventive detention, globalisation, decriminalisation, and the functioning of courts during the COVID-19 pandemic.I hope this compendium generates interest in legal literature and stimulates further research and discussion on constitutional ideals and courtled justice in India.