Legal Profession Must Be Guided By Ethics, Integrity And Empathy: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan At NLUJAA Convocation
Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has urged graduating law students to uphold ethics, integrity and constitutional values in their professional lives, cautioning them against allowing the desire for quick success to influence their judgment or compromise what they believe to be right.
Addressing the 4th Convocation of the National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJAA), in Guwahati on October 10, 2026, Justice Bhuyan emphasised the importance of treating colleagues, opposing counsel and litigants with dignity and respect. He also highlighted the need for empathy towards marginalised and unheard sections of society.
Welcoming Justice Vikram Nath, his senior colleague at the Supreme Court, to Guwahati, Justice Bhuyan appreciated his warmth, empathy and respectful approach towards members of the Bar and litigants, particularly in matters concerning public interest.
Justice Bhuyan recalled that during Justice Vikram Nath's tenure as Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, it became the first High Court in the country to live-stream its proceedings on YouTube. He noted that several other High Courts, including the Gauhati High Court, subsequently adopted the initiative.
Emphasising the importance of transparency and public access to court proceedings, Justice Bhuyan referred to the Supreme Court's judgment in Swapnil Tripathi, in which the Court examined live-streaming of judicial proceedings in the context of the public's right to know and receive information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
He observed that live-streaming expands the courtroom beyond its physical boundaries and promotes transparency, good governance and accountability. It also enables law students to observe court proceedings and litigants to remain informed about the proceedings in their cases.
Justice Bhuyan said the initiative was significant not only for transparency in the justice delivery system and the advancement of open justice, but also for legal education. He also noted that Justice Vikram Nath would take oath as the 54th Chief Justice of India on February 10, 2027.
Turning to the graduating students, Justice Bhuyan described the legal profession as a challenging yet rewarding calling founded on ethics and integrity. Referring to former United States Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., he said that the practice of law should not be seen merely as a means of earning a livelihood, but also as a way of making a life.
He also recalled former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Justice M.C. Chagla's observation that the legal profession is a learned and noble profession, fundamentally distinct from trade or business.
Justice Bhuyan encouraged students interested in higher education to pursue legal scholarship, observing that strong academia is an asset to both the legal profession and the judiciary.
Cautioning young lawyers against seeking quick success, he said the profession would bring both opportunities and disappointments. He urged them to remain committed to what they believe is right, respect differing viewpoints and be willing to listen, learn and acknowledge when they may be wrong.
“Please treat your colleagues, your opponents and above all the people who come to you seeking justice with dignity and respect,” he said, emphasising the importance of developing empathy.
Justice Bhuyan observed that constitutional values are tested not through the lived experiences of the privileged, but through the experiences of those who remain marginalised and unheard. In this context, he referred to the idea that constitutionalism must be viewed from the perspective of “constitutional losers, not winners.”
He added that human rights can be meaningful only when human suffering is taken seriously.
Quoting former Chief Justice of India Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah, Justice Bhuyan highlighted the importance of honour, dignity, compassion and character, observing that worldly achievements such as authority, wealth and status are only temporary milestones in the larger journey of human life.
He advised young lawyers not to be in an unnecessary hurry to achieve success, noting that professional growth takes time. He said that, as lawyers gradually develop in their careers, the trust and respect they earn from others are more valuable than monetary success.
Justice Bhuyan also spoke about NLUJAA's contribution to legal education in the north-eastern region and beyond. He noted that the university had taken commendable steps towards providing quality education and developing students' legal skills, while acknowledging that it continued to face infrastructural and other shortcomings.
He credited the successive Vice-Chancellors, faculty members and students for the university's achievements and commended its Chancellor, Justice Ashutosh Kumar, for his leadership. He also appreciated Vice-Chancellor Professor (Dr.) K.V.S. Sarma for his scholarship and efforts to strengthen the institution.
Justice Bhuyan highlighted the university's specialised research centres, journals, law reviews, national moot court competitions and academic lectures delivered by eminent jurists and legal scholars, stating that these initiatives had contributed to making NLUJAA a vibrant centre of legal education.
Congratulating the graduating students, Justice Bhuyan acknowledged the contributions of parents, guardians and teachers to their achievements. He encouraged the graduates to pursue their chosen careers with hard work and commitment.
Concluding his address, he quoted former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, urging the graduates to become “bridge builders” as they embarked on the next phase of their lives. He expressed confidence that they would succeed in their chosen fields and bring glory to themselves, their families and the university.