Lawyers letter to CJI: Over 600 distinguished lawyers, together with Harish Salve, Manan Kumar Mishra, Adish Agarwala, Chetan Mittal, Pinky Anand, Hitesh Jain, Ujjwala Pawar, Uday Holla, and Swaroopama Chaturvedi, have collectively penned a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), expressing concern over attempts to undermine the judiciary’s integrity.
In a letter to CJI DY Chandrachud, the lawyers flagged their issues over attempts by a “vested interest group” to affect the judiciary. The lawyers claimed that the group is using strain ways to affect judicial outcomes, significantly in instances involving political figures and corruption allegations. These actions, they argue, pose a big risk to the democratic material and the belief positioned in judicial processes.
The lawyers additionally highlighted a number of regarding strategies, together with the propagation of false narratives a few so-called ‘golden era’ of the judiciary, geared toward discrediting present proceedings and undermining public confidence within the courts.
“It’s troubling to see some lawyers defend politicians by the day, and then try to influence judges through the media at night. Implying that the courts in the past were easier to influence shakes the public’s trust in them,” the letter to CJI learn.
Lawerys on ‘bench fixing’
The letter highlighted that the group was peddling a whole concept of “bench fixing”. “They have also concocted an entire theory of ‘bench fixing’ – which is not just disrespectful and contemptuous – it’s an attack on the honour and dignity of our courts. At times, it also leads to slanderous attacks and insinuations on respected judges. They have also stooped to the level of comparing our courts to those countries where there is no rule of law and accusing our judicial institutions with unfair practices. These aren’t just criticisms; they are direct attacks meant to damage the public’s trust in our judiciary and threaten the fair application of our laws,” they mentioned.
They additionally expressed issues over political flip-flopping and mentioned, “It is strange to see politicians accuse someone of corruption and then defend them in court. If the court’s decision doesn’t go their way, they quickly criticise the courts inside the court as well as through the media. This two-faced behaviour is harmful to the respect a common man should have for our legal system.”
Highlights of the letter :
- A gaggle of lawyers expresses concern over attempts by a vested curiosity group to affect the judiciary and defame the courts, significantly in politically delicate instances involving corruption.
- The curiosity group is accused of making false narratives in regards to the judiciary’s previous to undermine present courtroom proceedings and public belief.
- Accusations embody ‘bench fixing’, disrespectful comparisons of home courts to these in lawless regimes, and direct assaults on judges’ honour.
- Tactics employed by the curiosity group contain selective criticism or reward of courtroom choices based mostly on their political agenda, described as a “My way or the highway” method.
Concerns are raised about:
- Political flip-flopping, the place politicians alternate between accusing people of corruption and defending them in courtroom.
- The use of underhand ways and dissemination of false data to affect judicial appointments and outcomes.
- The lawyers word the strategic timing of those ways round election durations, drawing parallels to comparable actions in 2018-2019.
- senior members of the bar have requested the Supreme Court to take protecting measures in opposition to these assaults to preserve the judiciary’s integrity.
- The letter requires a united stand in assist of the judiciary to guarantee it stays a robust pillar of democracy, urging decisive management in addressing these challenges.
Also Read: Lawyers, judges rise above variations in quest for justice: CJI DY Chandrachud
