[ad_1]
NEW DELHI: A group of 21 retired judges from the Supreme Court and high courts have expressed their concerns to the Chief Justice of India regarding the increasing efforts by “certain factions to undermine the judiciary through calculated pressure, misinformation, and public disparagement”.
In a letter written to the CJI, the retired judges claimed that these critics, driven by narrow political interests and personal gains, aim to erode public trust in the judicial system.
The judges expressed their deep concern about the strategies used by these groups, which range from spreading baseless theories to tarnish the judiciary’s reputation to engaging in overt and covert attempts to sway judicial outcomes in their favor.
“We write to express our shared concern regarding the escalating attempts by certain factions to undermine the judiciary through calculated pressure, misinformation, and public disparagement. It has come to our notice that these elements, motivated by narrow political interests and personal gains, are striving to erode the public’s confidence in our judicial system,” the letter said.
The judges further highlighted their particular concern about the tactics of “misinformation” and the manipulation of public sentiment against the judiciary. They emphasized that the practice of selectively praising judicial decisions that align with one’s views while harshly criticizing those that do not, undermines the very essence of judicial review and the rule of law.
“Such actions not only disrespect the sanctity of our judiciary but also pose a direct challenge to the principles of fairness and impartiality that judges, as guardians of the law, have sworn to uphold,” they said in the letter titled “Need to safeguard judiciary from unwarranted pressures”.
“This behaviour, we observe, is particularly pronounced in the cases and causes of social, economic and political significance, including the cases involving certain individuals, wherein the lines between advocacy and manoeuvring are blurred to the detriment of judicial independence,” they added.
The retired judges urged the judiciary, led by the Supreme Court, to strengthen its defenses against such pressures and ensure that the sanctity and autonomy of the legal system are maintained.
In a letter written to the CJI, the retired judges claimed that these critics, driven by narrow political interests and personal gains, aim to erode public trust in the judicial system.
The judges expressed their deep concern about the strategies used by these groups, which range from spreading baseless theories to tarnish the judiciary’s reputation to engaging in overt and covert attempts to sway judicial outcomes in their favor.
“We write to express our shared concern regarding the escalating attempts by certain factions to undermine the judiciary through calculated pressure, misinformation, and public disparagement. It has come to our notice that these elements, motivated by narrow political interests and personal gains, are striving to erode the public’s confidence in our judicial system,” the letter said.
The judges further highlighted their particular concern about the tactics of “misinformation” and the manipulation of public sentiment against the judiciary. They emphasized that the practice of selectively praising judicial decisions that align with one’s views while harshly criticizing those that do not, undermines the very essence of judicial review and the rule of law.
“Such actions not only disrespect the sanctity of our judiciary but also pose a direct challenge to the principles of fairness and impartiality that judges, as guardians of the law, have sworn to uphold,” they said in the letter titled “Need to safeguard judiciary from unwarranted pressures”.
“This behaviour, we observe, is particularly pronounced in the cases and causes of social, economic and political significance, including the cases involving certain individuals, wherein the lines between advocacy and manoeuvring are blurred to the detriment of judicial independence,” they added.
The retired judges urged the judiciary, led by the Supreme Court, to strengthen its defenses against such pressures and ensure that the sanctity and autonomy of the legal system are maintained.
[ad_2]
Source link