Prashant Bhushan was found guilty of contempt of court by the Supreme Court for two tweets (Archive)
New Delhi:
More than 100 law students from across the country have written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde and other Supreme Court justices to reconsider lead counsel Prashant Bhushan’s judgment in the contempt case.
The Supreme Court earlier this month found Bhushan in contempt of court for his tweets and reserved his order on the amount of punishment. The superior court is scheduled to pronounce sentence on Monday.
In the letter, around 122 law students made an emotional appeal to the CJI and other judges to reconsider the sentence against Prashanr Bhushan in the case.
“The judiciary must respond to criticism by restoring public trust. The judiciary must respond to criticism by changing its case. The judiciary must not hold court in contempt when criticism arises out of anguish and love for justice, of a person who helps in the depth of the same justice that he asks for others, ”the letter said.
Law students said they have seen Bhushan in court fighting for transparency, accountability, environmental protection and human rights, also against corruption for years.
His contribution to our fraternity and nation building is undoubtedly appreciated by everyone in the legal fraternity, the open letter said.
They said the two tweets, for which Bhushan was found guilty of contempt, have represented a layer of distress for the voiceless and outcast community. Those tweets do not harm the sanctity of the court, as it depends on the judges’ approach to justice, the letter said.
“I realize how difficult it is to resist, with wise silence, the rays of acid speech; and, how seductive it is to succumb to the temptation of argumentation where the thorn triumphs, not the rose. In the jurisdiction of contempt, silence is a sign of strength since our power is broad and we are a prosecutor and judge, ”the law students said in the letter, citing a ruling by retired judge VK Iyer.
Law students further said that criticizing the judge fairly, albeit fiercely, is not a crime but a necessary right, twice blessed in a democracy.
Prashant Bhushan was found guilty of contempt of court by the Supreme Court for two tweets, the first one posted on June 29, related to his comment / post on a photo of CJI SA Bobde on a high-end bicycle.
In his second tweet, Bhushan expressed his opinion on the role of the last four CJIs amid the situation in the country. Meanwhile, another contempt of court case against Prashant Bhushan is pending before the Supreme Court.
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