Constitution Day: Chief Justice (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud on Sunday said the Supreme Court has played its role as a ‘people’s court’ and citizens should not be afraid of approaching the courts, or see it as a last resort. Justice Chandrachud said, “Just as the Constitution allows us to resolve political differences through established democratic institutions and procedures, the court system helps resolve many disagreements through established principles and procedures.
Draupadi Murmu gave the inaugural speech at the program
“Thus, every case in every court of the country is an extension of constitutional rule,” the CJI said at the inauguration of the ‘Constitution Day’ celebrations in the top court. President Draupadi Murmu delivered the inaugural address at the event. Supreme Court judges Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and others attended the event.
‘Justice will be provided through this institution’
In his address, the Chief Justice said, “Over the last seven decades, the Supreme Court of India has functioned as a people’s court. Thousands of citizens have knocked at its doors with the belief that they will get justice through this institution.” He said that citizens are demanding protection of their personal liberty, accountability against illegal arrests, protection of rights of bonded labourers, demand of tribals to protect their lands, prevention of social evils like manual scavenging and access to clean air. Reach the court with the hope of intervention.
The apex court is probably the only court in the world!
Justice Chandrachud said, “These cases are not just quotes or statistics for the court. These cases are in line with the expectations of the people from the apex court as well as the court’s own commitment to provide justice to the citizens.” He said that the apex court is perhaps the only court in the world where any citizen can trigger the constitutional mechanism of the Supreme Court by writing a letter to the CJI.
‘One should not be afraid of knocking on the doors of courts’
He said that apart from ensuring justice to the citizens through its judgments, the apex court is making constant efforts to ensure that its administrative processes are citizen centric, so that people feel connected with the functioning of the courts. He said, “People should not be afraid of approaching the courts or see it as a last resort. I hope that with our efforts, citizens of every class, caste and creed can trust our judicial system And it can be seen as a fair and effective platform for the exercise of rights.”
Justice Chandrachud said that the courts are now doing ‘live streaming’ of their proceedings and this decision has been taken with the aim that the citizens know what is happening inside the court rooms. “Continuous media reporting about court proceedings indicates public involvement in the functioning of courtrooms,” he said. He said that the apex court has also decided to translate its judgments into regional languages with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and machines.
The Chief Justice said that last year on Constitution Day, the President had expressed concern over the overcrowding of prisoners and citizens from marginalized backgrounds in jails. He said, “…I want to assure you (President) that we are continuously working to ensure that legal procedures become easy and simple, so that citizens do not remain in jail unnecessarily.”