No longer ‘blind’

October 16, 2024 is definitely one for the history books. India woke up to witness the iconic Lady Justice statue in a new avatar as the blindfold was removed to spread the message that the law is, in fact, not blind.

The new statue of the Goddess of Justice, now situated in the Indian Supreme Court’s judges’ library, with her eyes open marks a significant departure from earlier representation. Though the statue was unveiled by Chief Justice of India Chandrachud in 2023, it went viral in the past week.

Symbol imprinted in our collective psyche for centuries — the statue of a blindfolded Lady Justice holding a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other, has stood to represent the principle that the law is blind. It has been used in Bollywood movies, in stories and fiction, even on the cover of rock albums.

This redesign, commissioned by outgoing Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, is intended to convey the message that the law is not blind and it sees and upholds the rights of all individuals equally.

The removal of the blindfold — a long-standing symbol of impartiality — indicates an evolving understanding of justice that distances itself from colonial legacies, similar to recent reforms that replaced the Indian Penal Code with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Lady Justice is thought to represent the allegorical embodiment of law and the moral principles that guide society.

In ancient Greece, the Hellenic deity Themis was commonly portrayed with scales and a sword, symbolising divine law and justice. While the figure of Lady Justice emerges from Justitia, the Goddess of Justice within Roman mythology, the symbolism of the scales first appeared in ancient Egypt with Maat, the Goddess of Truth and Justice.

The Roman Emperor Augustus considered justice to be one of the prime virtues. After him, Emperor Tiberius built a temple of Justitia in Rome. It became a symbol of the quality of justice with which every emperor wanted to associate his rule.

Emperor Vespasian struck coins with her image, where she was seated on a throne called ‘Justitia Augusta’. Many emperors after him used the image of this goddess to declare themselves protectors of justice.

According to reports, the transformation of Lady Justice aims to signal a new legal identity for India, embodying a justice system that is aware, vigilant and inclusive.

The notable shift symbolises a departure from the traditional notion that “the law is blind” and conveys that the legal system should not be viewed solely as a symbol of punishment. Additionally, the figure now holds a book representing the Constitution instead of a sword.

The scales of justice in her right hand have been retained symbolising the balance of competing arguments in court. They represent balance and fairness, standing as proof of the court’s commitment to examine and consider the facts and arguments from both sides before arriving at a conclusive judgment.

The blindfold on the previous statue represented equality before the law, while the sword symbolised authority and the power to enforce justice.

It was during British rule in India that this symbol became a representation of justice in the country. Introducing their own legal system after gaining control over India, they sought to create a uniform legal code, systematically dismantling regional legal systems. One of the British legal system’s most enduring legacy in India is the hierarchy of courts while the Indian Penal Code introduced by the British was only recently replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

It was also during British rule that Lady Justice became a prominent symbol in India. The presence of Lady Justice statues outside Indian courthouses serves as a reminder of our colonial legacy.

Several media reports have stated that the CJI advocates for India to progress beyond its British legacy. He emphasises that the law is not blind; it treats everyone equally, meaning the court does not consider factors such as money, wealth, or other forms of societal dominance in its judgments.

According to the reports, this was the reason why the CJI talked about changing the look of the Lady of Justice. He said the statue should have the Constitution in one hand and not a sword, so that the country gets the message that justice is given as per the Constitution. The sword is a symbol of violence, but the courts give justice according to constitutional laws.

Lady Justice was increasingly associated with Christian values during the mediaeval period. However, it was only during the Renaissance when the figure became more prevalent in art and architecture. It was during this time that the statue of the blindfolded woman began appearing in courtrooms and legal texts and became aligned with the ideals of the emerging legal systems.

The significance of the blindfold is salient to understanding the influence of emotions and the face in the justice system. The eyes, which are the most expressive part of the ‘face’, tend to be the predominant method of gauging how someone is feeling, very well depicted in Baudelaire’s ‘The Eyes of the Poor’.

The ‘face’ is the medium through which emotions are expressed. As a result, the ‘face’ of the other becomes a dominant source for gauging the other’s emotions too. To conduct a check of morality, everyone tries to understand what the accused was feeling while committing the crime and how the victim felt or the close ones of the victim, in case of a murder. People with visual access to the faces try to often judge the facial expressions and figure out if it is a face of shame, remorse, regret, pride, hate, fear, anger, etc. In cases that garner media attention, the public, who lacks direct access to the faces of those in the courtroom, gains an indirect understanding of the emotions through media. It gives rise to what is popularly known as a media trial. Thus, the interpretation of the blindfolded Lady Justice can have a number of different perspectives.

This transformation, however, signifies the judiciary’s commitment to equality under constitutional law. The new statue symbolises that Indian law is not blind but sees everyone equally.

This move marks a deviation from colonial symbols, spearheaded by the CJI, highlighting India’s continuing effort to embrace its own identity in the legal realm. As the country steps into a new era of justice, the redesigned Lady Justice stands as a testament to the nation’s commitment to fairness, equality, and constitutional values.

Views expressed are personal