Peace only when rights of people protected: CJI

New Delhi, May 14

Highlighting the need to recognise and protect people’s rights, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday said denial of justice would ultimately lead to anarchy.

For the functioning of a healthy democracy, it is imperative that people feel their rights and dignity are protected and recognised.

“For the functioning of a healthy democracy, it is imperative that the people feel that their rights and dignity are protected and recognised… Peace shall only prevail when people’s dignity and rights are recognised and protected,” CJI Ramana said, laying the foundation stone of a new High Court Building Complex at Srinagar.

“Expeditious adjudication of disputes is the hallmark of a healthy democracy. Denial of justice would ultimately lead to anarchy. Soon the institution of judiciary would be destabilised as people will look for extrajudicial mechanisms.

“One of the major challenges to the protection of rule of law and human rights is the inability of the formal justice system to deliver speedy and affordable justice to all. The justice delivery mechanism in India is very complex and expensive…. Courts have the constitutional duty of adjudication of rights and upholding the aspirations of our Constitution,” he said.

Describing the district judiciary as the “foundation of the judiciary”, the CJI said, “Only if the foundation is strong, the entire system can flourish.” He, however, lamented that 22 per cent of the posts in the district judiciary were still lying vacant. “Steps have to be initiated immediately to fill this gap. Appropriate steps are also required to be taken for providing security and accommodation for all the judges,” Justice Ramana said in his address broadcast on YouTube.

Describing the condition of judicial infrastructure across the country as “far from satisfactory”, the CJI said courts were operating from rented accommodations and under deplorable conditions. “Now, you have the advantage of 100 per cent funding by the Central Government. You all should work in a coordinated manner to fill the gaps,” he added.