And the Dinakaran debate continues

The controversy surrounding Karnataka Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran continues to elicit strong responses from the legal community, with former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee [pictured] expressing disapproval at Justice Dinakaran’s conduct in presiding over court matters..Former CJI K.N. Singh also expressed his regret over the accusations leveled against Justice Dinakaran..The controversy surrounding Karnataka Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran continues to elicit strong responses from the legal community, with former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee [pictured] expressing disapproval at Justice Dinakaran’s conduct in presiding over court matters..Speaking to the media at NLSIU, where he was delivering a lecture, Sorabjee stated that Justice Dinakaran should have refrained from presiding in court when an inquiry was pending against him. He added that since the Tamil Nadu Government’s report had caused the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to order an inquiry, it would naturally cast a cloud over Justice Dinakaran’s reputation until the matter was resolved. He emphasized strongly that the judiciary was built on the people’s confidence and that without it, “the institution’s credibility suffers.”.Former CJI K.N. Singh also expressed his regret over the accusations leveled against Justice Dinakaran. He acknowledged that the judiciary was not entirely free from corruption, and felt that if the allegations were proved correct, “it would certainly damage the judiciary as well as the Constitutional office of the Chief Justice.”.Sorabjee expressed a contradictory opinion on the same issue, saying that even if Justice Dinakaran were found to be guilty, it would not tarnish the image of the judiciary, since “the allegations were not in discharging of judicial functions.” He added, “Please do not come to the conclusion that corruption is rife in the judiciary.”