Nations with worse rights record target India: Justice Kant

NEW DELHI: Justice Surya Kant , who would be the next CJI, told the world community that India, with a robust mechanism for protection of human rights, is often targeted by countries with rigid immigration policies & a documented tendency to use excessive force for minor violations.

Bringing back memories of cruel treatments meted out to immigrants and Indians by police of foreign countries, Justice Kant told a gathering of eminent lawyers and social scientists at Stockholm that "India has historically demonstrated a strong commitment to human rights, rooted in its constitutional framework and heritage, long before these conversations gained global traction."

"To be candid, it is somewhat paradoxical when countries with some of the most rigid immigration policies - and a documented tendency to resort to excessive use of force, even in response to minor infractions - position themselves as foremost champions of human rights. Such critiques, when unaccompanied by self-reflection or contextual understanding, undermine the values they claim to uphold," he said.

On Saturday in Gothenburg, he pitched India as a country that can provide a robust, fair, yet cost-effective arbitration destination for foreign firms. "To popularise international arbitration, any sovereign nation must provide a foundational assurance to foreign investors and parties that their rights and interests will be protected. India, in this regard, stands on firm ground." He said India puts a premium on rule of law andthe independent judiciary has demonstrated its ability to safeguard the interest of parties to an arbitration irrespective of the country of their origin.