JUDICIAL INTERPRETATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Abstract

Abstract: Judicial interpretation plays a vital and transformative role in the protection, promotion, and realization of human rights and social justice within a constitutional democracy. While constitutions and legal frameworks lay down the foundational principles of rights and duties, it is ultimately the judiciary that breathes life into these provisions by interpreting their meaning, scope, and applicability in real-world situations. Through its interpretative functions, the judiciary not only clarifies ambiguities in statutory and constitutional texts but also adapts legal principles to evolving societal needs, ensuring that justice remains dynamic and responsive rather than rigid and outdated. Over time, judicial interpretation has significantly evolved from a narrow, literal approach to a more purposive and progressive one, enabling courts to address deep-rooted social inequalities and systemic injustices. In doing so, the judiciary has played a crucial role in protecting marginalized and vulnerable groups, including women, children, minorities, and economically disadvantaged communities, by expanding the ambit of fundamental rights and recognizing new dimensions of dignity, liberty, and equality. This evolution reflects a broader understanding that law cannot be isolated from the social context in which it operates, and that justice requires sensitivity to changing socio-economic realities. Thus, judicial interpretation emerges not merely as a technical exercise in legal reasoning but as a dynamic instrument for achieving social justice, fostering inclusivity, and promoting a more equitable society. Keywords: Judicial Interpretation, Human Rights, Social Justice, Constitution, Judiciary, Fundamental Rights, Public Interest Litigation