Vice President Race | Former Judges Criticize Peers for Defending I.N.D.I.A Bloc’s Nominee Justice Reddy
In a sharp retort, former judges accuse their peers of a "predictable pattern" of political partisanship by defending the opposition's Vice President nominee, Justice B. Sudershan Reddy;
A collective of former judges has issued a strong statement expressing disagreement with what they describe as a "predictable pattern" of retired judges and activists issuing politically partisan statements.
It is to be noted that recently, following Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on the India bloc's choice of former Supreme Court judge Justice Balkrishna Sudarshana Reddy as Vice President of India nominee, a group of former Supreme Court and high court judges, along with senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and academic Mohan Gopal, issued a statement condemning Shah’s remarks.
The present statement, signed by over 50 former judges, including two former Chief Justices of India, criticizes the practice of cloaking political leanings under the guise of judicial independence, arguing it erodes the dignity and neutrality of the judiciary.
"Judicial independence is not threatened by the criticism of a political candidate. What truly tarnishes the reputation of the judiciary is when former judges repeatedly issue partisan statements, giving the impression that the institution itself is aligned with political battles," the statement reads.
The 56 signatories, which include former Chief Justices P. Sathasivam and Ranjan Gogoi, as well as a number of former Supreme Court and High Court judges, specifically address the recent political candidacy of Justice Reddy for VP office. While not naming him, the statement argues that having chosen to enter the political arena, the former judge must now be treated as any other political contestant. The document states that using the "cover of judicial independence for political convenience" in this context stifles democratic discourse.
The central argument of this statement is that judicial independence is not undermined by criticism of a political candidate, but rather by former judges repeatedly engaging in partisan commentary. This, they argue, gives the "impression that the institution itself is aligned with political battles" and unfairly paints the judiciary as a "partisan coterie".
The statement calls on "brother judges to desist from lending their names to politically motivated statements".
It emphasizes that those who choose a path in politics must defend themselves in that realm, and that the judiciary as an institution should remain "above and distinct from such entanglements".
Among the prominent names on the list are former Supreme Court judges A.K. Sikri and M.R. Shah, and numerous former Chief Justices and judges from high courts across the country, including Allahabad, Delhi, Patna, Rajasthan, and Punjab & Haryana. The statement serves as a stern reminder of the ethical lines that the signatories believe should not be crossed by members of the judiciary, even after their retirement.