Physical Attacks On Judicial Officers Are On The Rise, Says CJI Ramana On Constitution Day

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Physical Attacks On Judicial Officers Are On The Rise, Says CJI Ramana On Constitution Day

Ramana expressed concern over the "increasing" attacks "on the judiciary in the media, particularly social media". He said these attacks appeared to be "sponsored, synchronised… motivated and targeted", and central agencies should "effectively" deal with them.

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On the occasion of Constitution Day on Friday, November 26, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana said the framers of the Constitution made accountability an integral element concerning the Legislature and Executive. "However, they deliberately decided to keep the judiciary on a different pedestal. They trusted the competence of men and women who would adorn the Bench, in upholding the Constitution," he said.

The CJI also said the vast pending cases, particularly in the lower judiciary, was "alarming", and batted for "a multi-pronged approach involving all the stakeholders", including "filling up existing vacancies of judicial officers… creation of a necessary infrastructure".

Increasing Attacks On Judiciary

Ramana expressed concern over the "increasing" attacks "on the judiciary in the media, particularly social media". He said these attacks appeared to be "sponsored, synchronised… motivated and targeted", and central agencies should "effectively" deal with them, The Indian Express reported.

The CJI pointed out that an area of serious concern for the judiciary is the rising attacks on judges. He noted that physical attacks on judicial officers are on the increase. He said that there are attacks on the judiciary in the media, especially social media. "These attacks seem to be sponsored and synchronised. The law enforcement agencies, especially the central agencies, need to deal with such malicious attacks. The governments are expected to create a safe environment so that the judges and judicial officers can function fearlessly," he said at an event organised by the Supreme Court registry.

"…I want to tell all of you that you must assist judges and the institution. We are all part of a large family. Protect the institution from motivated and targeted attacks. Do not refrain from standing up for what is right and against what is wrong," he said at another event organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).

At the SC registry event, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended, the CJI said the Executive and Legislature must work in conjunction with the judiciary. Any deviation by the Legislature or Executive from the path prescribed by the Constitution will lead to additional burden on the judiciary, he added.

He said the "Laxman Rekha (of separation of powers) drawn by the Constitution is sacrosanct… but there are times when courts are forced to pay attention to unresolved grievances, in the interest of justice".

"The intention behind such limited judicial interventions is to nudge the Executive, and not to usurp its role," he said, adding that attempts to project such interventions and constructive observations as the targeting of one institution by another, are misplaced. If encouraged, such attempts will prove to be harmful to the health of democracy, he added.

Addressing the event, Justice U U Lalit, the second most senior judge in the SC, said: "This Constitution has given us strength, character and that feeling of the building of the nation".

Also Read: Bengaluru Best City In India For Decent Jobs, Economic Growth: Niti Aayog Survey


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