Only a strong, independent judiciary can maintain democracy: HP High Court Chief Justice Amjad Sayed in his farewell speech

Outgoing Chief Justice Amjad Sayed of the Himachal Pradesh High Court voiced concerns over the ongoing impasse between the Central government and the judiciary and said that only an independent and strong judiciary can maintain democracy..The CJ was speaking at his farewell function organised on January 13 by the Bar. "Only an independent and strong judiciary who is the watchdog of the Constitution of India, and is bestowed powers to uphold the Constitution, can maintain the robust democracy in our country," he said.The CJ also expressed hope that the ongoing tussle between the government and the judiciary becomes a 'thing of the past' soon."I sincerely hope and pray that the present tension between the judiciary and the government would be a thing of the past soon. It does not give the right message to the young members of the Bar, who in many High Courts, are having second thoughts for giving their consent for being appointed as judges," CJ Sayed emphasised.The CJ further agreed that though the Collegium system, which has been the source of friction between the government the Supreme Court, is not a perfect one, yet it is one of the best systems for appointing judges."Though the Collegium system may have some flaws, as Chief Justice, my first hand experience is that it is the Chief Justice along with the other members of the collegium judges, who also consult the other sitting judges, the Advocate General and other members of the Bar, and who have an opportunity to see the performance of the advocates in the court, are still the best judge for making a recommendations for appointment of judges in the Higher Judiciary," he pointed out..He also opined that judges are first advocates and that both advocates and judges are two sides of the same coin and, therefore, both will need to 'speak in one voice.'"We have a very enlightened and efficient judges in this court. I only urge the members of the Bar to please continue your unwavering support to the judiciary which as you all know is the best beacon of hope for the people of this country," CJ Sayed said.For the judicial officers serving in the district judiciary of Himachal Pradesh, CJ Sayed asked them to continue doing the right thing to get the support of the almighty and the people."To the young members of this Bar, I only want to say that you are the future leader of the Bar and of our legal system of administering justice. Please continue the good work. There is no substitute for hard work. Success is bound to follow you," he said..Born on January 21, 1961, CJ Sayed obtained a Bachelors in law from Bombay University in the year 1984. He was on the Panel of Central Government, Bombay High Court (Senior Counsel Group-I). He was also an Assistant Government Pleader, Bombay High Court, Original Side.Before being appointed as the CJ of the Himachal Pradesh in June 2022, Justice Sayed served as a judge of the Bombay High Court from 2007 onwards. He served as a judge for nearly 16 years till his retirement on January 20.