Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stated that those involved in narcotics trafficking, organizing supply chains, and exploiting human vulnerability commit serious harm. He emphasised, “Law must speak firmly, decisively and without hesitation against drug traffickers.”
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed that those involved in narcotics trafficking, organizing supply chains, and profiting from human vulnerability are committers of significant harm.
Speaking at the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court during a month-long campaign against drug abuse, the CJI emphasized that the law must react with firmness and clarity against drug traffickers.
The CJI highlighted that combating substance abuse requires a collective approach that includes families, educators, health professionals, and communities, rather than isolated solutions.
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CJI remarked,
“Our legal framework draws a very clear and deliberate distinction. Those who traffic narcotics, organise supply chains, who profit from human vulnerability are not victims of circumstances. They are perpetrators of serious harm. For those actors, the law must speak firmly, decisively and without hesitation.”
Within this broader context, he stated that while the law has a role to play, it should not be the sole response nor the first course of action in every situation. The criminal justice system is often viewed merely as a punitive tool.
The CJI remarked,
“That perception, however, does not fully reflect our constitutional values or the deeper tradition of Indian jurisprudence. Our legal system has long acknowledged that justice is not served by punishment alone, particularly where human priority, youth, and social vulnerability are concerned,”
In the Indian judicial context, issues related to drug addiction have evolved towards a reformatory orientation aimed not just at penalizing wrongdoing but also at preventing its recurrence and reintegrating individuals into society.
CJI Kant emphasized that there cannot be ambiguity in dealing with organized exploitation.
He noted,
“But the law’s response must be different when it encounters a first-time user, student, or adult struggling with dependency (on narcotics),”
He stated,
“The central question is no longer only one of culpability; it becomes a question of recovery. The punishment cannot be the end; justice must ask whether it is closing a case or preserving a future that might otherwise be lost,”
The CJI highlighted that this approach is not one of leniency, but rather a reflection of realism.
He added,
“Addiction can only be confronted with the calibrated balance of deterrence, treatment, and social reintegration. This is precisely where institutions beyond the courtroom become indispensable,”
Regarding the anti-drug campaign, the CJI articulated that it should reaffirm a fundamental principle: justice in India can be firm without being cruel and compassionate without being naïve.
He concluded,
“The true measure of our success will not lie in the number of events held or pledges taken but in the lives redirected, silence broken, and futures reclaimed,”