‘Never faced political pressure in 24 years as a judge’: CJI Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, has refuted claims of political interference in the judiciary throughout his 24-year tenure as a judge. He shared his thoughts in a discussion at the Oxford Union earlier this month, reported Live Law. 

His response came after he was asked about political pressure on the judiciary, especially in recent years. 

“In the 24 years I have been a judge, I have never faced political pressure from the government. In India, judges live a life isolated from the political arm of the government,” he was quoted by Live Law as saying.

However, he acknowledged that judges are often aware of the political implications of their decisions.

The CJI said that judges must consider the impact of their decisions on the polity at large when deciding Constitutional cases. “This is not political pressure but an understanding of the likely impact of the decision,” he said.

CJI Chandrachud also spoke about “social pressure,” noting that judges think about the societal impact of their judgments.

“Many of the cases we decide involve intense societal impacts. As judges, I believe it is our duty to be cognizant of the impact of our decisions on the social ordering which we are ultimately going to affect,” Live Law quoted him as saying.

Speaking on how judiciary can balance independence, social justice, and minority rights in a “politically charged atmosphere,” he said that trained judges decide disputes based on settled traditions and Constitutional precepts, not the passions of the moment.

The CJI also answered various questions about judicial activism, public confidence in the judiciary, case pendency, and social media pressure.

When judges interpret the law to uphold Constitutional values, they are not being 'activists,' he said. “It is their plain duty to interpret the Constitution and the law.”

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Addressing case pendency, CJI Chandrachud pointed out the need for more judges. 

“Judge to population ratio in India is amongst the lowest in the world. We simply need more judges. We are engaging with the government to increase the strength of the judiciary at all levels,” he said.

“The large number of cases filed in Indian courts indicates public trust in the judiciary, but more needs to be done to increase this trust, he admitted. The best way to achieve this is through increased transparency and accountability.”

“We can do a lot more and we are trying to do a lot more to entrench public confidence in the judiciary. The best way is for the Courts to be transparent and accountable to the people. We are not accountable in that sense to democratically elected institutions like Parliament. We can do a lot more to be transparent which we are trying to do and we can add a lot more to our accountability,” he added.