Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said public space for dissent in India is getting smaller, with students increasingly facing arrest for taking part in protests. Speaking at NLIU Bhopal, he raised concern that peaceful disagreement is being treated more like a criminal matter than a democratic right.
He also questioned the way bail is handled in such cases, pointing to delays and strict conditions that can make relief harder to obtain. His remarks highlighted a wider debate over how the legal system responds when protest and criticism come into conflict with state action.
Alongside those concerns, Justice Bhuyan spoke about judicial independence and the constitutional principle of separation of powers. He described that doctrine as central to democratic governance, stressing the importance of institutions functioning within their own roles.
Taken together, his comments linked the health of democracy to both the protection of peaceful dissent and the strength of independent constitutional institutions. The address at NLIU Bhopal placed issues of protest, bail, and the balance of power at the center of the discussion.
