{"id":57655,"date":"2025-10-27T18:19:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T12:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=57655"},"modified":"2025-10-28T10:47:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T05:17:52","slug":"constitutional-morality-contours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/27-10-2025\/constitutional-morality-contours","title":{"rendered":"Contours of Constitutional Morality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Indian Polity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In recent years, India\u2019s constitutional courts have revived the concept of <strong>\u2018constitutional morality\u2019<\/strong> for constitutional interpretation and judicial reasoning, and has become a <strong>litmus test for the constitutional validity of laws<\/strong> and a safeguard against the volatility of public morality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About The \u2018Constitutional Morality\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Origins of the Concept: <\/strong>The idea of <strong>constitutional morality<\/strong> dates back to <strong>George Grote\u2019s<\/strong> History of Greece (1846), where he described it as a \u2018paramount reverence for the forms of the constitution\u2019.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to Grote, constitutional morality required:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Adherence to constitutional forms and procedures<\/strong>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Respect for offices and institutions<\/strong>; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Civic self-restraint guided by public reason<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dr. BR Ambedkar<\/strong>, inspired by Grote, invoked this concept during the <strong>Constituent Assembly debates<\/strong>, warning that democracy in India was only a <strong>\u2018top-dressing on an undemocratic soil\u2019.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It refers to the <strong>adherence to the core principles<\/strong> enshrined in the Constitution, even when they conflict with popular sentiment or political expediency. It demands a deeper commitment to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Liberty, equality, and fraternity;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Respect for constitutional institutions;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tolerance and pluralism;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public reason and self-restraint;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AV Dicey<\/strong> distinguished between the <strong>law of the constitution<\/strong> (enforceable by courts) and <strong>conventions of the constitution<\/strong>, or <strong>constitutional morality<\/strong>, which are not legally enforceable but<strong> politically binding.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Violation of such conventions may not attract judicial action but can lead to <strong>grave political consequences<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Does \u2018Constitutional Morality\u2019 Matters?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In recent years, constitutional morality has emerged as a powerful interpretive tool in judicial decisions. Courts have invoked it to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strike down laws that violate fundamental rights;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reinforce the independence of institutions;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Protect minority rights against majoritarian impulses;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Constitutional morality serves as a bulwark against the volatility of public morality, which can be swayed by populism or prejudice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges to Constitutional Morality<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Historical Dormancy:<\/strong> Constitutional morality remained dormant for decades, despite being discussed in the Constituent Assembly.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Only recently has it gained traction in legal and academic circles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Majoritarianism vs. Constitutional Values:<\/strong> Popular morality often clashes with constitutional principles like equality and liberty.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Laws or policies driven by majority sentiment may undermine minority rights or secularism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Judicial Inconsistency:<\/strong> Courts have invoked constitutional morality in landmark cases, but its application remains uneven.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lack of a clear framework leads to subjective interpretations, risking judicial overreach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Breach and Accountability: <\/strong>A breach of constitutional morality may not always be <strong>judicially actionable<\/strong>, but it has <strong>political or moral consequences<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For example, disregard for constitutional propriety may invite censure in Parliament or disapproval from the electorate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thus, <strong>constitutional morality operates through both legal and extra-legal accountability<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Institutional Weakness:<\/strong> Constitutional bodies (e.g., Election Commission, judiciary) sometimes face pressure or politicization.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Weak institutional independence hampers the enforcement of constitutional morality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public Apathy and Limited Awareness:<\/strong> Citizens often lack awareness of constitutional values and rights.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Without civic education, public discourse may drift toward emotional or sectarian narratives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Law and Morality Debate<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Hart\u2013Devlin Controversy (1960s):<\/strong> It<strong> <\/strong>epitomized the clash between legal positivism and moral enforcement.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lord Devlin<\/strong> believed that the law should preserve societal morality to prevent disintegration, while <strong>HLA Hart<\/strong> warned against imposing moral conformity through legal coercion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Judicial Recognition of Moral Principles: <\/strong>The <strong>House of Lords<\/strong> upheld a residual power of courts to preserve the <strong>moral welfare of the state<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Similarly, in P. Rathinam v. Union of India (1994) 3 SCC 394, the <strong>Supreme Court of India<\/strong> quoted Justice Frankfurter\u2019s view that law embodies rights grounded in <strong>moral principles<\/strong>, reflecting what is <strong><em>\u2018fair, right, and just\u2019.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Law Leading and Following Morality: <\/strong>At times, <strong>law leads morality<\/strong> \u2014 as in the abolition of untouchability, where legal change preceded social acceptance.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At other times, <strong>law follows morality<\/strong>, as seen in the gradual recognition of gender equality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Contemporary Debate<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To some, constitutional morality is a <strong>bulwark protecting individual rights<\/strong> from transient majoritarian sentiments.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To others, it represents a <strong>judicial overreach<\/strong>\u2014a \u2018dangerous weapon\u2019 capable of reshaping societal norms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its influence now extends across debates on <strong>LGBTQ+ rights, women\u2019s temple entry, freedom of speech<\/strong>, and the <strong>tension between national security and civil liberties<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Judicial Interpretation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>SP Gupta Case (1981):<\/strong> Justice Venkataramiah emphasized that violating constitutional conventions breaches constitutional morality, though not necessarily the law.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018, Sabarimala Case)<\/strong>: Chief Justice Dipak Misra equated<strong> \u2018public morality\u2019 under Article 25<\/strong> with <strong>constitutional morality<\/strong>, though this was later contested.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Manoj Narula v. Union of India (2014):<\/strong> The Court held that constitutional morality means <strong>adherence to the norms of the Constitution<\/strong>, urging ethical restraint among political leaders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>State (NCT of Delhi) v. Union of India (2018):<\/strong> The Court broadened the meaning to include <strong>liberal values and consensual governance<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Justice KS Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India (2017):<\/strong> The right to privacy was upheld as an aspect of <strong>constitutional morality and rule of law<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward: Promise of a Mature Constitutionalism<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Constitutional morality is not blind devotion\u2014it is <strong>disciplined fidelity<\/strong>. It teaches that allegiance to the Constitution lies in <strong>how we uphold it<\/strong>, not merely in what it delivers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At a time of deep political polarization, it reminds us that <strong>constitutional commitment need not breed rigidity<\/strong>, and <strong>constitutional critique need not erode faith<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The founding fathers envisioned the Constitution as <strong>a living document of both reverence and reform<\/strong>\u2014a framework where liberty thrives through restraint and justice through reason.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> How does constitutional morality serve as a guiding principle in contemporary Indian constitutional jurisprudence, and what challenges does it face in practice?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/lead\/the-contours-of-constitutional-morality\/article70205715.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-27-October-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In recent years, India\u2019s constitutional courts have revived the concept of \u2018constitutional morality\u2019 for constitutional interpretation and judicial reasoning, and has become a litmus test for the constitutional validity of laws and a safeguard against the volatility of public morality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":57703,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/constitutional-morality-contours.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57655"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57728,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57655\/revisions\/57728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}