Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Sunday called for a national-level recruitment of judges for the district judiciary..The CJI was speaking at the valedictory session of the National Conference on the District Judiciary, organised to mark 75 years of the Supreme Court of India."The time has really come now to truly think of national integration by recruiting members to the judicial services crossing the narrow domestic walls of regionalism and State-centred selections," Justice Chandrachud said..President of India Droupadi Murmu, Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant and Union Minister of State with independent charge of the Law & Justice Ministry, Arjun Ram Meghwal also spoke on the occasion..The idea of having an All India Judicial Service or AIJS has been floating around for many years but no significant development has taken place till date due to difference of opinion among the stakeholders.Notably, President Murmu also in November last year had called for such a system to help candidates from underprivileged backgrounds join the judiciary.The Law Commission of India had recommended the formation of an AIJS in its 116th Report released back in 1986. In 1992, the Supreme Court had ruled that the recommendations of the Law Commission “be examined expeditiously and implemented as early as possible” by the Centre.The Central Government in 2016 told the Delhi High Court that the State and the judiciary have been in a deadlock over the issue. The creation of AIJS was also formally discussed by the Law Ministry in January 2017.In 2018, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the creation of an AIJS for the recruitment of judges, observing that it was not something that can be done by a "judicial order."In 2021, as per a statement made by the then Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, 8 States and 13 High Courts expressed that they were not in favour of the initiative while the Central government opined that "a properly framed All India Judicial Service is important to strengthen overall justice delivery system.".More from the event.The CJI in his address emphasised that justice delivery was an essential service. He also acknowledged that the large pendency of cases remains a challenge. "At the district level vacancies in judicial personnel stand at 28% and of non-judicial staff at 27%. In order for the disposals to outweigh the institution of cases the courts must work beyond the capacity of 71% to 100%," he added. CJI Chandrachud also highlighted the fact that court infrastructure at the district level was not female friendly."We must, without any question, change the fact that only 6.7 per cent of our court infrastructure at the district level is female friendly. Is this acceptable in a nation where the basic level of recruitment in some states see over 60 to 70 per cent of women joining?!"In this context, Justice Chandrachud said that with increasing number of women coming into the judiciary, the biases which one may unwittingly have towards their colleagues must be confronted. "Being a judge at its heart is a calling to dispense justice. To this end, me must consciously introspect that our legal reasoning does not wield the mighty hand of the law to perpetuate existing prejudices," the CJI emphasised. .Pertinently, the CJI stressed on de-stigmatising conversations around the mental wellbeing of judges."Wellbeing of our judges – both personal and professional has a vital stake in the overall health of our judicial institution. Judges deal with distress which affects them mentally and physically. Addressing this issue requires us to recognise the unique stressors of judicial work, enabling a robust support system and prioritizing mental health and wellness initiatives. We must start by destigmatising the conversation around mental health and foster an open and supportive environment for our judges to function. Judicial wellness is not a personal concern, but a democratic imperative for upholding the rule of law and maintaining public confidence. ".CJI further said that an attempt has been made to inculcate a sense of independence and confidence in the minds of young judges by showing them that they shall be protected by the system"All along while creating safe and optimal working conditions and conditions of service which provide dignified conditions of work during and after service in the judiciary. Providing proper working conditions for the district judiciary is a small price which the nation pays for securing their independence and impartiality. A financially insecure judiciary will be grave danger to a stable democratic society ... We shall continue our project to make our judiciary more transparent, humane, and equipped to deal with the challenges of our time.".In the speech delivered in Hindi, President Murmu said that the Supreme Court of India has made an "invaluable contribution as a vigilant sentinel of the judicial system of the world's largest democracy"."Every judge and judicial officer of our country has the moral responsibility to respect dharma, truth and justice. At the district level, this moral responsibility is the lighthouse of the judiciary," the President said.She also highlighted the plight of the victims and the children of those women who are subjected to any crime."Accused get let off and roam while the victims of their crime remain in fear as society does not always stand in them specially for crimes against women. For children of women who were subject to crime, their welfare should be our priority. Their thinking and mental welfare, nutrition and ease of legal proceedings for them too.".The President pointed out that rural people still prefer not going to court."I have seen rural people are hesitant to go to Court and they quietly bear with injustice since they think fighting for justice will make their life more difficult. Going to the nearby court burdens them financially. Lot of people cannot fathom the impact of tareek pe tareek culture on them, everyone should think. We know of white coat hypertension but people's hesitancy with justice system can perhaps be called black coat syndrome."She concluded her speech by expressing her happiness with the decision of the Central government to retrospectively apply Section 479 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).Section 479 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 allows courts to grant bail to first-time offenders who have undergone a third of the maximum period of imprisonment prescribed..[Watch our live-coverage of the session]
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Sunday called for a national-level recruitment of judges for the district judiciary..The CJI was speaking at the valedictory session of the National Conference on the District Judiciary, organised to mark 75 years of the Supreme Court of India."The time has really come now to truly think of national integration by recruiting members to the judicial services crossing the narrow domestic walls of regionalism and State-centred selections," Justice Chandrachud said..President of India Droupadi Murmu, Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant and Union Minister of State with independent charge of the Law & Justice Ministry, Arjun Ram Meghwal also spoke on the occasion..The idea of having an All India Judicial Service or AIJS has been floating around for many years but no significant development has taken place till date due to difference of opinion among the stakeholders.Notably, President Murmu also in November last year had called for such a system to help candidates from underprivileged backgrounds join the judiciary.The Law Commission of India had recommended the formation of an AIJS in its 116th Report released back in 1986. In 1992, the Supreme Court had ruled that the recommendations of the Law Commission “be examined expeditiously and implemented as early as possible” by the Centre.The Central Government in 2016 told the Delhi High Court that the State and the judiciary have been in a deadlock over the issue. The creation of AIJS was also formally discussed by the Law Ministry in January 2017.In 2018, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the creation of an AIJS for the recruitment of judges, observing that it was not something that can be done by a "judicial order."In 2021, as per a statement made by the then Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, 8 States and 13 High Courts expressed that they were not in favour of the initiative while the Central government opined that "a properly framed All India Judicial Service is important to strengthen overall justice delivery system.".More from the event.The CJI in his address emphasised that justice delivery was an essential service. He also acknowledged that the large pendency of cases remains a challenge. "At the district level vacancies in judicial personnel stand at 28% and of non-judicial staff at 27%. In order for the disposals to outweigh the institution of cases the courts must work beyond the capacity of 71% to 100%," he added. CJI Chandrachud also highlighted the fact that court infrastructure at the district level was not female friendly."We must, without any question, change the fact that only 6.7 per cent of our court infrastructure at the district level is female friendly. Is this acceptable in a nation where the basic level of recruitment in some states see over 60 to 70 per cent of women joining?!"In this context, Justice Chandrachud said that with increasing number of women coming into the judiciary, the biases which one may unwittingly have towards their colleagues must be confronted. "Being a judge at its heart is a calling to dispense justice. To this end, me must consciously introspect that our legal reasoning does not wield the mighty hand of the law to perpetuate existing prejudices," the CJI emphasised. .Pertinently, the CJI stressed on de-stigmatising conversations around the mental wellbeing of judges."Wellbeing of our judges – both personal and professional has a vital stake in the overall health of our judicial institution. Judges deal with distress which affects them mentally and physically. Addressing this issue requires us to recognise the unique stressors of judicial work, enabling a robust support system and prioritizing mental health and wellness initiatives. We must start by destigmatising the conversation around mental health and foster an open and supportive environment for our judges to function. Judicial wellness is not a personal concern, but a democratic imperative for upholding the rule of law and maintaining public confidence. ".CJI further said that an attempt has been made to inculcate a sense of independence and confidence in the minds of young judges by showing them that they shall be protected by the system"All along while creating safe and optimal working conditions and conditions of service which provide dignified conditions of work during and after service in the judiciary. Providing proper working conditions for the district judiciary is a small price which the nation pays for securing their independence and impartiality. A financially insecure judiciary will be grave danger to a stable democratic society ... We shall continue our project to make our judiciary more transparent, humane, and equipped to deal with the challenges of our time.".In the speech delivered in Hindi, President Murmu said that the Supreme Court of India has made an "invaluable contribution as a vigilant sentinel of the judicial system of the world's largest democracy"."Every judge and judicial officer of our country has the moral responsibility to respect dharma, truth and justice. At the district level, this moral responsibility is the lighthouse of the judiciary," the President said.She also highlighted the plight of the victims and the children of those women who are subjected to any crime."Accused get let off and roam while the victims of their crime remain in fear as society does not always stand in them specially for crimes against women. For children of women who were subject to crime, their welfare should be our priority. Their thinking and mental welfare, nutrition and ease of legal proceedings for them too.".The President pointed out that rural people still prefer not going to court."I have seen rural people are hesitant to go to Court and they quietly bear with injustice since they think fighting for justice will make their life more difficult. Going to the nearby court burdens them financially. Lot of people cannot fathom the impact of tareek pe tareek culture on them, everyone should think. We know of white coat hypertension but people's hesitancy with justice system can perhaps be called black coat syndrome."She concluded her speech by expressing her happiness with the decision of the Central government to retrospectively apply Section 479 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).Section 479 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 allows courts to grant bail to first-time offenders who have undergone a third of the maximum period of imprisonment prescribed..[Watch our live-coverage of the session]
