A group of 21 retired judges of the Supreme Court and high courts have penned a letter to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, expressing concerns about mounting efforts by certain factions to undermine the judiciary through calculated pressure, misinformation, and public disparagement.
These critics, driven by narrow political interests and personal gains, are aiming to erode public confidence in the judicial system, according to the judges.
Retired Judges
While the retired judges, including four from the apex court, did not cite specific incidents prompting their letter to the CJI, their communication comes amidst a verbal battle between the ruling BJP and opposition parties over actions against some opposition leaders in corruption cases.
BJP
As affected leaders and their parties resort to legal recourse seeking relief, the BJP has frequently accused them of selectively using judicial decisions and highlighted the lack of relief for several arrested leaders to counter criticism from the opposition.
Retired judges, including Justices (Retired) Deepak Verma, Krishna Murari, Dinesh Maheshwari, and M R Shah, have accused critics of employing insidious methods aimed at influencing judicial processes by casting doubt on the integrity of courts and judges.
In their letter titled “Need to safeguard judiciary from unwarranted pressures,” they emphasized that such actions disrespect the sanctity of the judiciary and directly challenge the principles of fairness and impartiality that judges, as guardians of the law, have pledged to uphold.
Judiciary’s Reputation
The retired judges expressed deep concern over the troubling strategy employed by these groups, which include spreading baseless theories to tarnish the judiciary’s reputation and attempting to influence judicial outcomes in their favor.
They observed that this behavior is particularly evident in cases of social, economic, and political significance, where the lines between advocacy and maneuvering become blurred to the detriment of judicial independence.
Misinformation
The letter writers highlighted their concern about the tactics of misinformation and orchestration of public sentiment against the judiciary.
They stressed that selectively praising judicial decisions that align with one’s views while vehemently criticizing those that do not undermines the essence of judicial review and the rule of law.
Urging the judiciary, led by the Supreme Court, to fortify against such pressures, they emphasized the importance of preserving the sanctity and autonomy of the legal system.
“It is imperative that the judiciary remains a pillar of democracy, immune to the whims and fancies of transient political interests,” they concluded.
