New Delhi, Nov 20, 2022: In one of the strongest remark against the legal system, that too coming from the highest echelons, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Sunday said that the patriarchal and caste-based face of the legal system must change for the better.
CJI Chandrachud was speaking at an event organised by the Bar Council of India to felicitate him on being sworn in as the 50th Chief Justice of India.
Addressing the demand for more women judges and judges hailing from diverse social backgrounds, he stated thatthe Judiciary was a reflection of the people who joined the legal profession decades ago, and the number of women in the district Judiciary was is currently on the rise.
“The face of the legal profession or judicial institution today reflects the state of the legal profession 30 years ago. The Supreme Court reflects the legal profession 40 years ago. Who enters the judiciary now is defined by what was happening in the legal profession 30 to 40 years ago. If we don’t create an equal opportunity legal profession today, the problems of the marginalised community, not just women, will continue to fester,” the CJI noted.
As the new CJI was greeted with flowers, shawls, mementos, and paintings at the event, he noted: “Each bouquet, each scarf carries the weight of the expectations of the nation. I’m only a human being. So much of your expectations also depend on the environment in which we are members. Everything I do will be in the interest of preserving the institution of justice.”
The CJI also talked about the schemes being launched to pave the way for access to justice through technology. Justice Chandrachud has said as part of phase 3 of the e-courts project between the Supreme Court administration and the government, the e-courts system would be made available on the CEC ‘e-seva’ kiosks which are being installed across the country at all gram panchayat offices.
