KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday made a strong pitch for the judiciary to be free from “political bias“, while speaking at the inauguration of a two-day conference organised by National Judicial Academy in Kolkata.
Addressing the gathering that comprised CJI D Y Chandrachud, senior Supreme Court judges including justices B R Gavai, Dipankar Datta and Rajesh Bindal, and Calcutta high court chief justice T S Sivagnanam, among others, Mamata said: “It is not my intention to humiliate anyone.But it is my kind submission, a humble submission… please see to it that there are no political biases in the judiciary. The judiciary must be absolutely pure, honest and sacred, and let people revere it like a temple.”
The CJI appeared to concur, as he said judges should refrain from allowing their personal ideologies to influence their judgments.
Mamata’s remarks come at a time when her govt’s relationship with the judiciary has been fraught with tension, with the CM even criticising some of the HC rulings in the recent past.
In a post on her X handle later, she said: “Judiciary stands as a guardian of our constitutional rights, a beacon of justice, and a cornerstone of our democratic framework. In these times, more than ever, we must strive to uphold the purity and honesty of our judicial processes, free from any political bias. People place immense faith in the judiciary, looking to it as a source of fairness and truth. It is this trust that we must honour and protect.”
Chandrachud, on his part, emphasised that judgments should be based on constitutional morality, not a judge’s idea of morality. Reminding the judges that they were “servants” of the constitution, not its “masters”, he said the values judges had to espouse were values the Constitution had enshrined for them, whether they liked it or not – “that is, a society based on human dignity, fraternity, equality, liberty, respect for all, tolerance for all and inclusion of all”.
The CJI, however, expressed reservations at the use of the term “temple of justice” for courts. “Because ‘temples’ postulate that judges are in the role of deities. I would rather recast the role of judges as servers of the people. Then you bring that compassion and empathy – judging people but not being judgmental about people.”
Addressing the gathering that comprised CJI D Y Chandrachud, senior Supreme Court judges including justices B R Gavai, Dipankar Datta and Rajesh Bindal, and Calcutta high court chief justice T S Sivagnanam, among others, Mamata said: “It is not my intention to humiliate anyone.But it is my kind submission, a humble submission… please see to it that there are no political biases in the judiciary. The judiciary must be absolutely pure, honest and sacred, and let people revere it like a temple.”
The CJI appeared to concur, as he said judges should refrain from allowing their personal ideologies to influence their judgments.
Mamata’s remarks come at a time when her govt’s relationship with the judiciary has been fraught with tension, with the CM even criticising some of the HC rulings in the recent past.
In a post on her X handle later, she said: “Judiciary stands as a guardian of our constitutional rights, a beacon of justice, and a cornerstone of our democratic framework. In these times, more than ever, we must strive to uphold the purity and honesty of our judicial processes, free from any political bias. People place immense faith in the judiciary, looking to it as a source of fairness and truth. It is this trust that we must honour and protect.”
Chandrachud, on his part, emphasised that judgments should be based on constitutional morality, not a judge’s idea of morality. Reminding the judges that they were “servants” of the constitution, not its “masters”, he said the values judges had to espouse were values the Constitution had enshrined for them, whether they liked it or not – “that is, a society based on human dignity, fraternity, equality, liberty, respect for all, tolerance for all and inclusion of all”.
The CJI, however, expressed reservations at the use of the term “temple of justice” for courts. “Because ‘temples’ postulate that judges are in the role of deities. I would rather recast the role of judges as servers of the people. Then you bring that compassion and empathy – judging people but not being judgmental about people.”