Jasti Chelameswar on Constitutional Interpretation and Judicial Independence

Today my guest is Justice Jasti Chelameswar, who is a former justice of the Supreme Court of India. Prior to his elevation, he served as chief justice in High Courts in Gauhati and Kerala and as a justice in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

We spoke about his judgments on electoral qualifications, judicial conduct, transparency in judicial appointments, the constitutional right to privacy, separation of powers, and how dissent shapes constitutional interpretation, and much more.

Recorded February 25th, 2025.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.

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Timestamps

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:27 - Election Law Cases

00:17:15 - Process of Writing Opinions

00:25:38 - Misconduct of Judicial Officers

00:31:34 - NJAC Opinion

00:44:47 - Fundamental Right to Privacy

01:06:29 - Death Penalty Matters

01:15:36 - Outro