EQUALITY AND JUSTICE

The Indian Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, guarantees justice to all. It envisages that in order to provide social justice, it is essential that those who live in the society should be equal before law. Article 14 of Fundamental Rights of the Constitution provides that the State shall not deny to any person equality before law or equal protection of a law within the territory of India. It means that in India, laws are not supposed to discriminate between rich and poor, high and low. It is essential for social justice that in the society there should be no room for discriminations and there should be no privileged class. These are the lofty intentions of the framers of the Constitution. JUSTICE and EQUALITY are two words that find emphasis in the very Preamble of the Constitution.

Despite the elapse of seven decades since the framing of the Constitution, the cardinal principles of equality and justice still remain only as lofty ideals to a great extent. The instances of undue protection before law enjoyed by certain sections, of denial of justice, of discrimination before law, of allowing special benefits and privileges to certain sections, of considering crime committed by some sections not as crime are so much in abundance and have become so commonplace in our society that there is no need to exemplify them here.

One point is certain. Citizens will have full trust, faith and respect towards the legal system only when, repeat only when, they are solidly convinced that there is no discrimination or unequal treatment or denial of justice to the people.The perception amongst some sections that equality and justice are only idealistic concepts lacks substance. Citizens DO crave for equality and justice.