Justice B.V. Nagarathna, the lone woman judge of the Supreme Court, has emphasized that court judgments are written in ink, not sand. She warned against the recent trend where judgments are easily overruled by later Benches after the original judges retire. Speaking at a legal event, Justice Nagarathna referred to the recent overturning of the Vanashakti judgment, which had banned ex post facto environmental clearances. She said, “Judgments should not be 'tossed out' just because 'faces have changed.'” She urged the legal community and government to respect judgments and challenge them only through proper legal processes. Her views aligned with those of a Supreme Court Bench led by Justice Dipankar Datta. They noted a “painful” increase in verdicts being overturned after the original judges have left the court, often at the request of unhappy parties. Justice Nagarathna highlighted that judicial independence requires that judgments stay fixed in time and only be challenged in line with legal traditions. She also underlined the role of judges' personal conduct in maintaining judicial independence. She said, “Judicial independence is ultimately conviction, courage and independence of individual judges who decide matters before a court of law.” The judge emphasized that a judge’s conduct must be beyond doubt and public suspicion to protect the trust in the judiciary. She delivered these remarks on November 30, 2025, at the international convention on the “Independence of the Judiciary” held at O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonipat, Haryana.