CJI Sanjiv Khanna further added, “What makes the judiciary unique is our direct connect with the people… The most easy access which the people have is the access to the judiciary in any of the three institutions.”
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, while addressing an event on Wednesday, emphasized the unique role of the judiciary in India. Unlike other arms of the state, the judiciary directly connects with citizens and provides easy access for people to raise their grievances, even against the state or the law.
The CJI was speaking at an event titled “Celebrating 75 Years of the Constitution of India” organized by the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA).
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Talking about what makes the judiciary unique, the CJI said, “The second aspect which came to my mind was as to what makes the judiciary unique. The legislators are elected by the people. They are representative of the people. They are a handful. The executive, political executive is in a parliamentary democracy, is answerable to Parliament or the legislature.”
He further added, “What makes the judiciary unique is our direct connect with the people… The most easy access which the people have is the access to the judiciary in any of the three institutions.”
The Chief Justice pointed out that the judiciary is the place where anyone can raise concerns and seek explanations, even against the state.
He noted, “It was the judiciary where anybody could raise any grievance and ask for explanation, even against the state and citizens could approach the courts challenging the constitutional vires of the legislation.”
Talking about legal rights, he stated,
“You can ask for the enforcement of constitutional rights, statutory rights, and it is so easy to walk into any court, engage a lawyer, engage or even argue in person. That means we are the ones who are directly associating ourselves with the citizens.”
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Judiciary is Not Just About Judges
The CJI emphasized that the judiciary is not just about judges, but also includes lawyers.
He explained, “I was just wondering today, when we talk about the judiciary, the first thing which comes to the mind of most people is the judges. But the judiciary is not about the judges. When we refer to the judiciary, it means the judges, as well as the bar. Without the bar, there cannot be the judiciary.”
He praised SCAORA for its contributions and the launch of its e-journal and revamped website. He also acknowledged the association’s efforts in celebrating milestones like 75 years of the Indian Constitution and recognizing advocates-on-record for their five decades of service to the legal field.
Expressing his expectations for the journal, he said,
“I hope this SCAORA e-journal will one day become the journal wherein you will have critical analysis of Indian jurisprudence, Indian legal thought, Indian judgements, and contribute worldwide for this.”
The event also saw addresses by Supreme Court Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, and Abhay S Oka. Attorney General R Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and members of SCAORA also shared their thoughts on the occasion.
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