Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud delivered a significant address on Saturday at the Regional Conference of the National Judicial Academy, cautioning against the trend of idolizing judges as divine figures and emphasizing the judiciary’s role in public service.
CJI Chandrachud expressed concern over the common practice of addressing judges with honorifics like ‘Honour’ or ‘Lordship’.
He noted the dangers of equating courts to temples of justice.
“There is a very grave danger when people say that the court is a temple of justice. There is a grave danger that we perceive ourselves as the deities in those temples,” CJI remarked.
Highlighting the need for a shift in perspective, CJI Chandrachud advocated for judges to see themselves as servants of the people rather than as figures of reverence.
“I would rather recast the role of the judge as a server of the people,” he asserted.
He emphasized the importance of compassion and empathy in judicial decision-making, particularly in criminal sentencing where the human impact is profound.
Discussing the judiciary’s accessibility, the Chief Justice underscored the role of technology in bridging language barriers.
He pointed out that the majority of judgments are written in English, posing a challenge for many citizens.
“Technology can provide us with some answers. Most judgments are written in English. Technology has enabled us to translate them. We are translating 51,000 judgments in other languages,” CJI Chandrachud explained.
CJI Chandrachud further stressed the significance of constitutional morality and technological integration across all levels of the judiciary, including the district courts.
His remarks signal a broader initiative toward enhancing transparency, accessibility, and empathy within India’s judicial system.
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