Lawyers’ Letter to CJI: 600 lawyers from across the country, including senior advocate Harish Salve, have written a letter to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud expressing concern over the questioning of the judiciary. Senior advocates Harish Salve, Manan Kumar Mishra, Adish Aggarwal, Chetan Mittal, Pinky Anand, Hitesh Jain, Ujjwala Pawar, Uday Holla, Swarupama Chaturvedi and more than 600 lawyers from across India have written the letter. This letter has been written expressing serious concern against the actions of a specific interest group aimed at undermining the integrity of the judiciary.
According to the lawyers, this group is adopting pressure tactics to influence judicial decisions, especially in cases involving political figures and corruption allegations. They argue that these actions pose a significant threat to the democratic structure and the trust placed in judicial processes. Let us tell you that on Wednesday, the lawyer wing of the Aam Aadmi Party had threatened to protest against Kejriwal’s arrest. However, the decision to protest was canceled after the High Court’s warning.
In the letter, the lawyers highlighted a number of related practices, including the propagation of false stories about the so-called ‘golden age’ of the judiciary, aimed at discrediting current proceedings and undermining public confidence in the courts.
Table of Contents
Know what are the allegations made in the letter
• Expresses concern over attempts by an interest group of lawyers to influence the judiciary and defame the courts, especially in politically sensitive cases involving corruption.
• The interest group is accused of creating false narratives about the judiciary’s past to undermine current court proceedings and public confidence.
• The allegations include ‘bench fixing’, derogatory comparisons of domestic courts to courts governed by lawlessness, and a direct attack on the dignity of judges.
• The strategy adopted by the interest group includes selective criticism or praise of court decisions based on their political agenda, described as a “my way or the highway” approach.
Concerns have been raised about
• Political flip-flopping, where politicians alternate between accusing individuals of corruption and defending them in court.
• The use of underhanded tactics and dissemination of false information to influence judicial appointments and outcomes.
• Lawyers note the strategic timing of these tactics around election periods, which parallel similar activities in 2018-2019.
•Senior members of the Bar have requested the Supreme Court to take protective measures against these attacks to maintain the integrity of the judiciary.
• The letter calls for a united stand in support of the judiciary to ensure that it remains a strong pillar of democracy, urging decisive leadership to address these challenges.
False rumours being spread about the ‘golden age’ of the judiciary
In a letter to the CJI, the lawyers have claimed that a ‘special group’ is propagating false stories about the so-called ‘golden age’ of the judiciary. This is being done through it so that the current proceedings can be undermined and the public’s trust in the courts can be reduced. The letter states that this group is working under a strategy, one of which is that it criticizes or praises the court’s decisions based on its political agenda. This is known as the ‘my way or the highway’ approach.
The group is criticizing the decisions of the courts in the media
The letter written by more than 600 lawyers said, “Some lawyers are defending politicians during the day and then trying to influence judges through the media at night. This is extremely disturbing.” The letter sheds light on the fact that a ‘special group’ is promoting the theory of bench fixing.
Lawyers say, “It is very strange to see that politicians accuse someone of corruption and then defend them in the court. If the court’s decision is not according to their wishes, then they immediately criticize the court inside the court and through the media.”
Demand to take action from Supreme Court
In the letter written to the CJI, it has been said that most of the strategies are being used through groups during the time of elections. Similar things were seen in 2018-2019 as well. Senior members of the Bar Association have requested the Supreme Court to take action against these attacks to maintain the integrity of the judiciary. The letter has called for a united stand in support of the judiciary to ensure that it remains a strong pillar of democracy.
