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COURT NO FORUM FOR AIRING VIEWS

The court is not a platform for judges to impose their own ideas and philosophy, said former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court Govind Mathur, in the context of a recent High Court order granting bail to a person accused of making obscene remarks against Lord Ram and Krishna. In its order pronounced on October 8, the High Court had observed that Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Ramayana, Gita and its authors Maharishi Valmiki and Maharishi Ved Vyas, are part of the heritage of the country and need to be given national honour through a law. Reacting to these observations, Justice Mathur told Bar & Bench that a judge is not supposed to touch upon the merits of a case in bail orders. Court is a forum where you have to impart justice and not impose your ideology. Justice Mathur said that judges should avoid expressing their own notions, philosophy or faith while passing judicial orders.