“If the Constitution is the promise, the Commission is one of its keepers,” the Chief Justice of India said of the National Human Rights Commission, calling it a gatekeeper of constitutional rights for people who cannot easily reach a courtroom.
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New Delhi: Speaking at the Foundation Day celebrations of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the national capital on Monday, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant described a Human Rights Commission as a gatekeeper of constitutional rights.
Authority Built On Credibility
Turning to the source of the Commission’s influence, the CJI said:
“The influence of a Human Rights institution does not come from the coercive force of its orders, but from the credibility it earns over time.”
“Its moral authority is like a bank balance. It is built slowly, deposit by deposit, and it can be spent very quickly. Every careful inquiry, every timely intervention and every honest report adds to that balance.”
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A Remedy For The Remote District
For people who live far from the courts, he described what the Commission offers:
“A person in a remote district may find it difficult to even reach a courtroom. This is where a Human Rights Commission earns its place. If the Constitution is the promise, the Commission is one of its keepers.”
“It goes where the court cannot easily go; it listens to those who cannot easily speak, and it can act on its own without waiting to be asked.”
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Event Details: Address by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant at the Foundation Day celebrations of the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, 12 October 2026.