 "CJI DY Chandrachud. PTI")
A group of 21 retired Supreme Court and High Court judges has written to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud flagging “attempts to undermine judiciary through calculated
pressure, misinformation, and public disparagement.”
The letter was signed by 21 former judges of various high courts as well as the Supreme Court.
The development comes days after over 600 lawyers from across India wrote a letter to the CJI alleging that a “vested interest group” is coercing the judicial system and defaming courts“on the basis of frivolous logic and stale political agendas”.
What does the judges’ letter say?
The judges have accused “certain factions,” often “motivated by political interests” and “personal gains,” are undermining the judicial system in a way that strives to erode the public’s confidence in the judiciary.
The letter reads, “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.”
“The strategy employed by these groups is deeply troubling — ranging from the propagation of baseless theories intended to malign the judiciary’s reputation to engaging in overt and covert attempts to influence judicial outcomes to their favour,” it added.
The judges have urged the apex court to safeguard courts from such pressures and ensure that “the sanctity and autonomy of our legal system are preserved.”
Impact Shorts
More Shorts600 lawyers’ letter to CJI
In late March, a letter was signed by high-profile lawyers including senior advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council of India chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, and other legal practitioners across the country accusing an unidentified “group” of employing pressure tactics to influence judicial outcomes, particularly in cases involving political figures and corruption allegations.
Such actions, the lawyers argue, threaten the functioning of the judicial system.
With inputs from agencies