Courts can’t perform role of govts: SC judge

NEW DELHI: The role assigned to the judiciary by the Constitution is to provide checks and balances within the system and it cannot perform the role of elected governments, Supreme Court judge justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said on Saturday, underscoring the importance of courts and the executive remaining within their spheres of functioning.

The judge said that courts are increasingly being asked to decide on political matters that are brought before it under the guise of public interest litigations and they often face criticism due to the handling of such cases.

“But I do believe that we have adopted a Constitution where we have an elected government in power. Segregation of powers requires judiciary to perform its role and executive to perform its role. Courts cannot be unelected governments,” justice Kaul, who was delivering the keynote address at a webinar organised by non-governmental organisation

CAN Foundation on the topic “Dissents that made a difference: India & Abroad” said.

The courts, he maintained, have their limitations and have not been tasked with the responsibility of running the system.

“They (courts’ views) are inherently minoritarianism because the majority view is reflected by government in power. There are limitations to the judiciary. Judiciary has not been assigned the role of running the system but (a role) to put check and balance on the system,” justice Kaul added.

The judge pointed out that there is a “shrill discourse” today surrounding political cases and the courts bear the brunt of the attack. Justice Kaul said that the system offers space for dissent – for the political system it is in Parliament and on the streets, while for the judiciary it is through dissenting judgments. However, he highlighted the importance of examining courts’ judgments in the backdrop of the period in which they are delivered and called for a constructive approach while examining the judgments.