collegium system in indiaChief Justice of India DY Chandrachud today (November 25) talked about the collegium system of appointment of judges, saying that no institution in a democracy is perfect.
Speaking at the Constitution Day celebrations organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the CJI said, “No institution in a constitutional democracy is perfect. We work within the existing framework of the Constitution and we are loyal soldiers implementing the Constitution.” ,
Merely reforming the collegium system of the top court or increasing the salaries of judges will not ensure that good and deserving people join the court.
The CJI said, “Getting good people into the judiciary is not just about reforming the collegium…” The CJI said that lawyers joining the bench as judges are a call of conscience and a commitment to the public. Appealing to the young lawyers, he said the system is to make the office of a judge.
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The CJI said that November 26, 1959 was an important day as it was the day the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution. He said that the process of nation building is an ever-evolving task. The CJI said that the Constitution is constantly evolving to meet the new social realities of the times.
He further said that the working of the constitution depends on how the district judiciary is functioning. He said that when we celebrate the Constitution, we should be aware of the history before the adoption of the Constitution. The CJI said that the legal profession should shun its colonial base and in a country like India where summers include extreme heat waves due to climate change, we should reconsider the strict dress code for lawyers, especially in summers.
She said that strictness of dress should not be the moral guard of women lawyers.
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who attended the programme, said that a country progresses under the visionary guidance of its leaders. “If the leaders become weak, the country becomes weak. If the CJI becomes weak, the Supreme Court becomes weak and if the Supreme Court becomes weak, the Judiciary becomes weak. I am the Chief Justice of India I congratulate DY Chandrachud and know that the judiciary will rise under him.” Rijiju said.
He said that he is committed to creating better infrastructure in the country.
He said, “The independence of the Indian judiciary is untouchable. We are here to protect it. We are all one. It is not right to fight among ourselves.” Attorney General R Venkataramani said that we need to see what is the need of justice for different sections of the community and there is a need to fundamentally reorganize our court system, our law making, our law reform. He said that the time has come that we should have a permanent Law Commission assisted by the best quality experts.
(With ANI inputs)
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