Communitarianism and Justice: Community Values versus Individual Rights in a Globalizing Constitutional Order

Author

Muskan Showkat Shah, Prof. (Dr). Ausaf Ahmad Malik

Abstract

 This paper examines the tension between communitarianism and liberal rights theory as it surfaces in the arena of constitutional adjudication, with particular focus on Indian constitutional jurisprudence in the context of globalization. Communitarian thought situates justice within the moral grammar of community membership, whereas rights-based liberalism treats individual autonomy, dignity, and equality as the primary standards against which law is measured. The Indian Constitution does not wholly endorse either framework; instead, it subjects all collective power to enforceable norms of liberty, equality, dignity, conscience, and fraternity. Through the analytical lens of 'constitutional morality'—as distinguished from social morality—the paper evaluates landmark decisions of the Supreme Court of India dealing with sexual autonomy (Navtej Singh Johar), partner choice (Shafin Jahan), gender identity (NALSA), freedom of conscience (Bijoe Emmanuel), religious exclusion (Sabarimala), and the institutional limits of judicial recognition (Supriyo). The analysis demonstrates that Indian courts have progressively shifted the locus of justice from the maintenance of traditional hierarchy to the constitutional protection of equal individuality, while simultaneously acknowledging the institutional limits of judicial reform. The paper concludes with policy suggestions for strengthening the legal infrastructure supporting individual rights within pluralistic communities in a globalizing world.

Keywords

Communitarianism; Constitutional Morality; Individual Rights; Globalization; Indian Constitutional Law; Fundamental Rights; Social Morality; Dignity; Equality; Gender Identity; Sexual Autonomy

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