New Delhi:
President Pranab Mukherjee greeted Justice V R Krishna Iyer on his 99th birthday and thanked him for his "extraordinary contributions" towards the country.
Iyer turned 99 on November 15.
In his message to the former judge of the Supreme Court, the President said, "On this special occasion, I would like to thank you for your extraordinary contributions towards our nation and people. As a distinguished jurist in the Supreme Court of India, you used law as an instrument of social engineering and social change making access to justice available for all, including, the marginalised and the vulnerable."
Mukherjee recalled that Justice Iyer demonstrated a profound understanding of the vision of the framers of the Constitution of India and the founders of the Indian freedom movement.
"You were able to develop jurisprudence that was ahead of the time and contributed to building a strong foundation for the Indian legal system. During your important years in the Supreme Court, the seeds of public interest litigation and social action jurisprudence was developed," the President
said.
The President pointed out that though Justice Iyer retired from the court over 25 years ago, he has been making inspiring contributions as a powerful voice of civil society and an enlightened spirit of India.
