Collegium decides in national perspective: CJI

EW DELHI: With the Supreme Court collegium’s decision to transfer three high court judges sparking protests from lawyers in the states concerned, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud on Saturday underscored that the collegium takes administrative decisions keeping in view the “national perspective”, and added that advocates’ strikes make “consumers of justice suffer”.

Speaking at the felicitation function organised by the Bar Council of India (BCI), the CJI also warned against a “culture of distrust” against the district judiciary, making trial judges wary of granting bail due to the fear of inviting criticism by the higher judiciary.

District judges, justice Chandrachud pointed out, must be trusted if the judiciary wants to answer the needs of common citizens and constitutional courts do not wish to render themselves dysfunctional owing to sheer number of bail cases.

The CJI, choosing the occasion to address the lawyers, said: “It is important for members of the bar to realise that so very often when we take decisions in administrative capacity, we are looking at things in national perspective. Of course, always question those in authority but you must also always learn to trust those in authority to the extent that they have best welfare of them at heart and for that they have to take tough decisions.”