Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, on Sunday emphasized the critical distinction between knowledge and prudence in legal practice, underlining that true wisdom lies in knowing when to rigidly apply the law and when to grasp the spirit behind it.
Addressing the convocation ceremony of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) in Kolkata — held after a four-year hiatus — the CJI, who is also the Chancellor of the university, told graduates that while legal knowledge can be rapidly acquired, prudence evolves slowly, through experience, errors, and introspection.
“Prudence is knowing when to speak and when silence carries greater weight. It is knowing when to insist on the letter of the law and when to understand the purpose it seeks to serve,” he said.
The ceremony was also attended by Justices Dipankar Dutta and Joymalya Bagchi of the Supreme Court, and Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul. Degrees were conferred upon both undergraduate and postgraduate students during the event.
Reflecting on the pace and pressures of modern legal life, Justice Kant said that today’s world demands immediate opinions and rapid responses, often at the cost of deeper judgment.
“We live in an age of immediacy… judiciousness has become rare and therefore deeply valuable,” he noted.
He pointed out that while professional success is often measured in numbers — such as billable hours or case counts — these metrics can feel hollow when fairness and empathy are compromised.
“In those moments, rules alone will not guide you, your prudence will,” he said.
Justice Kant spoke candidly about the emotional and psychological toll of legal practice, acknowledging the demands of long hours, relentless timelines, and the quiet expectation of total availability. Drawing on his own decades-long journey in the judiciary, he advised the new graduates to learn the art of slowing down as a means to sustain professional responsibility — not evade it.
“The ability to unwind and to slow down at the right intervals is not a retreat from professional responsibility; rather, it is a way of sustaining it,” he said.
Reflecting on the academic journey of the students, the CJI reminded them that the practice of law in the real world often looks very different from what is taught in classrooms.
“Files may be heavier than textbooks, timelines tighter than academic calendars, and outcomes far less predictable than classroom debates had suggested,” he observed.
However, he reassured the students that the true strength of legal education lies in shaping one’s ability to think through uncertainty and conflict.
“It gives you the ability to remain steady when facts are uncomfortable, when interests collide, and when each conclusion feels inadequate,” the CJI said, adding that this mental resilience “ripens” with real-world experience.
Justice Kant closed his address by offering encouragement to the graduating batch, urging them to carry forward not just their legal acumen, but also the moral clarity and prudence that the profession demands in service to society.
