Read Time: 05 minutes
Implying that the courts in the past were easier to influence shakes the public’s trust in them, the lawyer have said
Prominent lawyers including Harish Salve, Manan kumar Mishra, Adish agarwala, Chetan Mittal, Pinky Anand, Hitesh Jain, Ujjwala Pawar, Uday Holla, Swaroopama Chaturvedi among 600 lawyers who have addressed a letter to CJI, expressing concern over attempts to undermine the judiciary’s integrity to the Chief Justice of India.
The Lawyers are expressing their deepest concern over a vested interest group trying to pressure the judiciary, influence judicial process and defame our courts on the basis of frivolous logic and stale political agendas.
The letter alleges that false narratives of a supposed ‘better past’ and 'golden period of the courts, contrasting it with the happenings in the present are being created.
"Their antics are vitiating the atmosphere of trust and harmony, which characterises the functioning of the judiciary. Their pressure tactics are most obvious in political cases, particularly those involving political figures accused of corruption. These tactics are damaging to our courts and threaten our democratic fabric", the letter states.
Saying that intentional statements are made to sway court decisions and to embarrass the court for certain political gains, the CJI has been told, "It’s troubling to see some lawyers defend politicians by the day, and then try to influence judges through the media at night."
On a theory of ‘bench fixing’ being concocted, the letter states this leads to slanderous attacks and insinuations on respected judges.
"There is a clear “My way or the highway” approach at work - any decision they agree with is hailed but any decision they disagree with is trashed, smeared and disregarded. This cherry picking has been visible in very recent judgments too", CJI Chandrachud has been told about the vested interest group's approach.
Calling for closer scrutiny of this group's actions, the CJI has been told that they (vested interest group) do it at very strategic timings, when the nation is all set to head into elections.
"We request the Supreme Court to stand strong and take steps to protect our courts from these attacks. Staying silent or doing nothing could accidentally give more power to those who mean to do harm. This is not the time to maintain dignified silence as such efforts are happening since few years and too frequently....Sir, in these tough times, your leadership is crucial. We trust you and all Hon'ble Judges to guide us through these issues and keep our courts strong...", the letter conclusively states.
Please Login or Register
