Justice Vaidyanathapuram Rama Iyer Krishna Iyer referred to as a conscience keeper of justice in India, was a visionary and a path-breaking judge, who reformed the Indian criminal justice system with bold changes to jails & police stations, and forged new tools to dispense social justice & justice in the public interest, which stood not just the test of time, but had a profound impact on justice delivery in India in the decades which followed. He pioneered the legal-aid movement in the country. Before that, he had pioneered land reforms law as a state minister & independent politician, which became a model for the rest of the country. He stood up for the poor and the underprivileged and was jailed for this once, as an activist lawyer. He zealously guarded human-rights regardless of finding himself isolated. He was a crusader for social action & the environment, and a champion of civil liberties, throughout life. A sports enthusiast and a prolific author, he was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. Judges in India and around the world continue to cite his judgments in their decisions in court.
Also known as
Visionary
