Supreme Court unveils new justice statute without blindfold to say that ‘Law is not blind’

The new Lady Justice statue in the Supreme Court has shed its blindfold, with the Constitution now replacing the sword in one hand, symbolising that the law in India is neither blind nor punitive. According to an NDTV report, the statue was commissioned at the orders of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.

The law is not blind
While the Lady of Justice has traditionally been depicted with its eyes blindfolded, the new statue has eyes open to spread the message that the law is not blind.

Before this, the Lady of Justice was commonly depicted as a woman wearing a blindfold while holding scales and a sword. The blindfold was meant to represent equality before law, implying that justice should be delivered without regard to wealth, power or status.

The scales represented balance and fairness, while the sword was meant to represent the power of the law.

However, the new statue is being seen as an attempt to leave the colonial legacy behind while underlining the message that the law is not blind in new India. It now stands tall at the judges' library in the Supreme Court.