'Majority view not always right': SC judge on public morality
Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan recently made a strong point about why our laws and values should be guided by the Constitution, not just what most people think is right.
At a Hyderabad seminar, he said, "Constitutional morality must outweigh the argument of public morality, even if it be the majoritarian view."
He pointed out real-life examples—like a student in Delhi denied housing because of her Muslim surname and parents in Odisha refusing meals cooked by Dalit workers—to show why this matters.
Justice Bhuyan explains constitutional morality
Drawing from landmark court cases like Naz Foundation and Navtej Singh Johar, Justice Bhuyan explained that constitutional morality means following the rule of law with respect for everyone's rights—not just going along with popular opinion.
As he put it, courts should focus on what's constitutional, not just what's popular.
Who is Justice Bhuyan?
Justice Bhuyan is a member of the Supreme Court.
His recent comments highlight his belief that protecting individual rights sometimes means going against majority views.
Justice Bhuyan's stand on judicial independence
Justice Bhuyan has spoken up before about keeping courts free from government influence.
He called it "very unfortunate" when judge transfers seem influenced by government requests instead of staying strictly within judicial hands—another example of him standing up for fairness over pressure.