Threatening students for asking questions is misuse of power: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan

Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan warned on Sunday that it is unconstitutional and an abuse of authority to punish students for differing opinions or asking questions. Addressing the 13th convocation of the LLM batch at National Law University Delhi, Bhuyan stressed that questioning is a fundamental citizenship right. When students voice their views or ask queries, their actions cannot be met with punitive measures. Such behavior violates constitutional principles and demonstrates misuse of power.

Bhuyan argued that legal education must cultivate more than just legal knowledge; it should also foster the ability to question prevailing assumptions and consider whether laws genuinely serve justice. He emphasized that an academic atmosphere should welcome multiple perspectives, allowing differing views to be debated and examined.

Bhuyan cautioned against intolerance, noting that a vibrant democracy must accommodate differing beliefs and views, not view dissent as a threat. Universities play a crucial role as incubators for independent thought, he stated, serving not only to disseminate information but also to nurture critical analysis and debate. For aspiring lawyers, legal education must extend beyond theory to practical application of constitutional principles in resolving conflicts between individual rights and state authority.