NEW DELHI: About 122 law students from across the country have written to President of the Supreme Court of India (CJI) SA Bobde and other judges of the Supreme Court to reconsider the sentence on senior attorney Prashant Bhushan at contempt of the court 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 supreme court is scheduled to pronounce the sentence on Monday.
In the letter, the law students made an emotional call to the CJI and other judges to reconsider the sentence against lawyer Bhushan in the contempt 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 witnessed Bhushan in court fighting for transparency, accountability, protection of the environment, human rights and 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, “said the law students 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.
Earlier this month, Bhushan was found guilty of contempt of court by the Supreme Court for two of his tweets, the first one posted on June 29, relating to his comment / post on a photo of CJI 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 also pending before the Supreme Court.
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