The Nalanda shares the memorable tribute delivered by Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, then President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, to the legendary Ram Jethmalani at the Supreme Court of India on 9 January 2020. The original speech is preserved by the SCBA and describes Jethmalani as an institution in himself—an extraordinary advocate, original thinker, teacher, defender of democratic values and an uncompromising voice of the Bar.
Its most enduring message concerns the courage and independence of the Bar. Dave recalled Jethmalani’s conviction that courts must protect the common citizen against executive excess, corruption and incompetence, while constitutional democracy also requires an independent Bar capable of speaking its mind.
Above all, the speech preserves Jethmalani’s extraordinary declaration:
“I have not learnt the lesson of silence.”
He regarded silence in the face of what one believed to be wrong as incompatible with the lawyer’s responsibility to speak the truth.
The Nalanda republishes and shares this historic speech in its original spirit, with full credit to Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave. Raja Choudhary endorses its central institutional message: the Supreme Court of India needs a fearless, independent and responsible Bar—one capable both of defending the independence of the judiciary and of speaking with courage when constitutional principle requires it.
— Raja Choudhary, Founder, The Nalanda
Original speech published by the Supreme Court Bar Association
