NEW DELHI: Supreme Court Justice NV Ramana he said on Saturday that judges are now becoming victims of “juicy gossip” and “defamatory posts on social media” as they refrain from speaking in their own defense.
Justice Ramana, who is the next to become Chief Justice of India, said that the life of a judge is no better than that of others and there has been a misunderstanding that “judges lead a life of luxury in their ivory towers. ”
The Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde, said that the freedom of expression of judges “is restricted by the same laws that prevent people from saying what they want against the independence of the judiciary.”
They spoke at the launch of the book “Judiciary, Judge and Administration of Justice”, written by former Supreme Court Justice Justice (retd) R Banumathi, who had retired on July 19.
His comments come in the context of the dispute between activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan. On August 31, the supreme court had imposed a “nominal fine” of Re 1 on Bhushan, who was convicted of criminal contempt for his two tweets against the judiciary, saying he has tried to “denigrate the reputation of the administration institution of Justice”. ”.
Ramana Justice He said that the main theme of the book is the responsibilities and duties of a judge.
“The judges themselves refrain from speaking in their own defense and are now being interpreted as a soft target for criticism. This problem is further complicated by the proliferation of social media and technology. The judges are becoming the victims of juicy gossip and defamatory posts on social media, ”he said.
Judge Ramana said that from his own experience, he can say that the life of a judge is no better than that of others and even his relatives have to make the sacrifices.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding that the judges lead a life of luxury in their ivory towers. However, the reality is quite different and difficult for others to understand. The judges have to balance their social life to be independent, ”she said.
Judge Ramana said he believes sacrifices are required on the part of judges today, unmatched by any other profession.
The CJI said that the judiciary belongs to the nation and its achievements are the result of “unwavering dedication” and the commitment of numerous people in and out of court.
He said that for the judges and consequently for the Judiciary, the greatest challenge is to move the nation towards the goal set in the Constitution.
He said that an independent judiciary is ‘Sine qua non’ (essential condition) to achieve the same.
“It is not for the personal benefit of the judges, but for the effective exercise of the power conferred on the judiciary,” he said, adding: “In fact, even the freedom of expression of the judges is restricted by the same laws that prevent people to say what they want, adverse to the independence of the judiciary ”.
Speaking about the book, Justice Ramana said that Justice (retd) Banumathi’s book symbolizes the immense experience he has gained over many decades and his insights into judicial functioning extend throughout the judicial system, from the trial court to the court. High Court.
“He has worked tirelessly for 32 years, serving justice and contributing a lot to the Indian judicial system. It is the hard work of Judge Banumathi and her independent thinking. She has always been a fearless and dynamic judge. She has vast experience in the judicial and administrative fields. She has been one of the best judges the country has ever seen, ”Judge Ramana said.
He added that with her vast experience, Judge Banumathi has left a guide for all judges in which she has dealt with important concepts of constitutional importance such as the doctrine of the separation of powers and the importance of the independence of the judiciary.
“He has also highlighted the relevance of judicial responsibility and impartiality. In the second part of the book, he enlightens readers on recent developments in our court system on electronic courts and the court management system. She explains how technology has transformed the justice administration system, ”he said.
The Chief Justice of India also said that the COVID-19 pandemic would present a “large backlog of cases” in the courts and much emphasis should be placed on using mediation to resolve many of these issues.
The CJI, who said the courts will face a “flood of cases” once the pandemic wears off and closures are lifted, also stressed the need to devote energy to mental health and referred to the “uncomfortable prediction “That there could be a suicide pandemic.
Speaking on the occasion, Supreme Court Judge DY Chandrachud He referred to the dedication of Justice (retd) Banumathi towards the cause of justice and advocacy.
Judge Chandrachud, who is the chairman of the Supreme Court’s electronic committee, referred to the work carried out by the Supreme Court and also provided district-level case data during the pandemic.
He said that around 28.66 lakh of cases were recorded at the district level during the period of the pandemic, of which 12.69 lakh of issues were resolved.
Judge (retired) Banumathi said the book highlights the various essential facets of the judiciary and also offers a comprehensive view of the achievements of the E-court project.
Judge of the Supreme Court of Justice Indu Malhotra and the Chief Judge of the Delhi High Court, DN Patel, also addressed the meeting which was attended by several other high court judges.
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