It’s time to address issues of long vacations, adjournments, says CJI DY Chandrachud

Tribune News Service

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, January 28

As the judiciary faces the daunting task of clearing a backlog of more than five crore cases, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Sunday called for initiating “difficult conversations” on adjournment culture and long vacations.

Addressing the diamond jubilee function of the Supreme Court in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Supreme Court judges and lawyers, the CJI said the top court’s ability to remain relevant as an institution required it to recognise the challenges and begin “difficult conversations” on them.

“In the near future, we must address the structural issues affecting the judiciary, such as pendency of cases, archaic procedures, and the culture of adjournments. Our effort in our work as Judges and administrators must be to ensure dignity to the district judiciary, which is the first point of contact for citizens. Our ability to remain relevant as an institution requires us to recognise challenges and begin difficult conversations,” the CJI said.

“First, we must emerge out of the adjournment culture to a culture of professionalism; second, we have to ensure that the length of oral arguments does not interminably delay judicial outcomes; third, the legal profession must provide a level-playing field for first-generation lawyers — men, women and others from marginalised segments who have the will to work and the potential to succeed; and fourth, let us begin the conversation on long vacations and whether alternatives such as flexitime for lawyers and judges is possible,” Justice Chandrachud said.

“The 75th year since the founding provides an opportunity to meet these challenges and step into the future with an honest assessment of our progress. We must reflect on the journey that we have traversed and renew our pledge to uphold the Constitution within and beyond the courtrooms,” he said at the function which was also attended by the Chief Justices of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mauritius, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

The CJI stressed increasing the representation of marginalised sections and providing a level-playing field to first-generation lawyers. The Supreme Court came into existence on January 28, 1950. It initially functioned from the Parliament House before moving to the present building here.

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