Chief Justice (CJ) Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed on Thursday said the July Revolution did not aim to overturn the Constitution, but rather to renew and strengthen the nation's engagement with it.
He made the remarks while responding to a farewell felicitation accorded to him by Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman and Supreme Court Bar Association President AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon at the chief justice's courtroom in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Judges from both the Appellate and High Court divisions, along with senior lawyers, were present at the event.
The chief justice, who is set to retire on December 27, said the existing Constitution-despite its historical limitations-remains the judiciary's sole source of legitimacy.
He noted that the Basic Structure doctrine, though politically contested, has over the years guided the judiciary in correcting constitutional deviations.
He observed that political and constitutional renegotiations could eventually lead to a new social contract, or even an entirely new constitutional order. In such a situation, he said, the judiciary would face its greatest test: steering institutional change without losing the core principles of constitutionalism.
According to the chief justice, vision, wisdom and courage would determine whether the judiciary can remain relevant in a rapidly transforming nation.
He further said the judiciary must carefully balance two responsibilities-protecting the integrity of the current Constitution while preparing, both intellectually and institutionally, for any future framework chosen by the sovereign people.
Warning of the risks ahead, he said even the most celebrated reforms would fail if weakened by poor governance or geopolitical instability.
However, if the judiciary stays committed to constitutional morality and the rule of law, he added, the current transition could mark the beginning of a genuine constitutional renaissance rather than a period of uncertainty.
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