From Shakespeare to the Gita: Meet Justice Krishna Shripad Dixit, the ‘literary judge’ turning dry verdicts into messages that connect

Here are a few of his verdicts that connect with legal as well as non-legal readers.

‘India not a nation, but a mere population’

While upholding the disqualification of a gram panchayat member under the two-child policy, Justice Dixit drew from the writings of former British prime minister Winston Churchill at the start of the year, stating, “India is not a nation, but a mere population.” In doing so, the Orissa High Court framed population growth as a civilisational challenge.

Further emphasising the dangers of a growing population, Justice Dixit quoted British philosopher Bertrand Russell and said, “Population explosion is more dangerous than the hydrogen bomb.”

When he invokes a line from a celebrated play or quotes from a famous figure’s political speech, Justice Krishna Shripad Dixit’s verdicts make you sit up and take notice. (AI-generated image)

Rough men, gentle justice

Invoking the words of the English novelist and critic George Orwell – “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to suffer violence on their behalf” – Justice Dixit in January upheld compassionate appointment for the wife of a disabled CRPF jawan who was injured in a terror blast.

Criticising the “colonial-era” bureaucratic mindset, Justice Dixit, along with Justice Chittaranjan Dash, emphasised that cases involving defence personnel must be treated with humanity, not technical rigidity.

Justice, explained through Adam and Eve

Dealing with another plea that challenged the recovery of “excess” salary of a retired statistical investigator, Justice Dixit recalled the biblical tale of Adam and Eve, and emphasised the significance of being granted an opportunity of hearing. Along with Justice Dash, he pointed out that even God afforded such an opportunity to Adam and Eve before punishing them for eating the proscribed apple in the Garden of Eden.

Holding that the lack of an opportunity to explain oneself is a clear violation of the principles of natural justice, the court ruled recently that recovery involving civil consequences cannot be imposed without a prior hearing.

‘Knowledge as ascent: From ignorance to dignity’

Drawing simultaneously from the Bhagavad Gita, William Shakespeare, Rabindranath Tagore, and Charles Darwin, the Orissa High Court earlier this month championed education as a pathway to personal and professional upliftment.

Justice Dixit opened the verdict with a line from Shakespeare’s play ‘Henry VI’: “Ignorance is the curse of God, knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven….”

The bench, ultimately, upheld the promotion of a peon who acquired higher qualifications without prior permission from the authorities.

‘State without justice like a band of robbers’

In yet another judgment delivered last month, Justice Dixit, quoting British philosopher Jeremy Bentham, pointed out that a government that fails its citizens is akin to a “band of robbers.” Stating that the case brings to mind Lewis Carroll’s book ‘Alice in Wonderland’, he said it raises a basic question: “whether the state is the first enemy of scrupulous citizens?”

Rebuking the government over a Scheduled Caste employee’s ordeal that lasted over two decades, Justices Dixit and Dash went on to quote Martin Luther King Jr, Rabindranath Tagore and B R Ambedkar as they castigated the state for repeatedly trying to disengage the employee’s services.

Noting that untouchability and casteism were two monsters that afflicted our society for centuries, if not millennia, the bench added that the south of the country heralded a new epoch of equality and egalitarianism in this context.

Constitution over passion

During the heated Karnataka hijab case hearings, Justice Dixit urged students and the public to uphold peace and place faith in the Constitution, likening it to the Bhagavad Gita as his guiding force.

The case involved petitions by Muslim students asserting their right to wear the hijab as an essential religious practice. While the state sought restrictions on protests, the court refrained from imposing a blanket ban, balancing public order with constitutional freedoms under Article 19.

From Karnataka university to the bench

Born on July 20, 1964, Justice Dixit’s journey from a young mooter at Karnataka University, Dharwad, to a high court judge reflects a mind trained in both precision and persuasion.

Enrolled as an advocate in 1989, he built a formidable practice across the high courts of Karnataka and Madras, handling diverse domains from election law and service matters to agrarian reforms and banking before serving in key roles such as Senior Standing Counsel for the Election Commission of India and later as Assistant Solicitor General.

Elevated to the Karnataka High Court in February 2018 and sworn into the Orissa High Court in May 2025, Justice Dixit has authored and contributed to a wide spectrum of decisions that touch everyday life and constitutional values alike, ranging from the contentious hijab matter and the regulation of online gaming to questions of Goods and Services Tax (GST), environmental protection, electoral freedoms, and the rights of pensioners, labourers, and marginalised groups.

A rare judicial voice

At its core, what distinguishes Justice Dixit is not merely his references or rhetorical style, but his ability to make law readable, relatable and reflective.

In doing so, he bridges a gap that often unwittingly separates the judiciary from the public it serves.

For lawyers, his judgments offer depth, but for non-lawyers, they offer an entry point. And for both, they stand as a reminder that law, at its best, is not just about rules, but about ideas, values, and the human condition.

With inputs from Sumit Kumar Singh. Sumit is an intern with The Indian Express.