CJI recalls Justice Krishna Iyer’s strong stand against death sentence
07/07/2025
Kochi, Jul 6: Chief Justice of India Bhus-han Ramkrishna Gavai on Sunday recalled the strong stand adopted by eminent jurist Justice V R Krishna Iyer against death sentence.
Delivering a comm-emorative lecture here on the remarkable contributions of Justice Iyer, the CJI remembered his role at various levels--from an activist-lawyer to a minister and a judge.
Justice Gavai, during his address, said Justice Iyer stood up for the cause of the poor and under-privileged and remained a human rights champion, a crusader of social justice and a doyen of civil liberties throughout his life.
He said Justice Iyer's compassionate view on the connection between the right to life and socio-economic rights became first visible through his view on the abolition of capital punishment.
Recounting an incident from Justice Iyer's life, the CJI said he, as a young lawyer, had watched an innocent man be nearly hanged for a crime he never committed.
Subsequent cases convinced Justice Iyer that the death sentence was "barbarous and uncivilised," the Chief Justice said while delivering a lecture on Justice V R Krishna Iyer's role in balancing fundamental rights and the directive principles of state policy.
Referring to various cases, Justice Gavai pointed out how Justice Iyer outlined the positive indicators against the death sentence in Indian law.
In one case, he commuted a death sentence to life imprisonment, the CJI said, and detailed how Justice Iyer restricted the scope of the death sentence in another case. Even outside the court, he advocated for the abolition of death sentence, the CJI recalled.
Mentioning various incidents, Justice Gavai said Justice Iyer's legal philosophy was not confined just to court rooms but it was a breathing force that resonated with the struggles of common men.
The CJI also detailed Justice Iyer's influence upon his legal career as a lawyer and as a judge.
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