Kolkata:

 Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Friday said that more has to be done towards achieving maximum gender representation in the legal profession, while appreciating strides already made towards that direction.

He urged the legal fraternity to work towards fostering more equality.

The CJI said that in various states, in the competitive examinations for the lowest level of judicial service, over 60 per cent of the recruits are now women.

“That shows you the social evolution that is taking place in India,” he said, speaking at the bicentenary celebration of the Bar Library Club of the Calcutta High Court at the Town Hall here.

“But while progress is being made in terms of gender representation, there remains a pressing need to ensure that our judicial institutions are truly inclusive and accommodating for all,” the CJI said.

He said that despite the presence of female lawyers, amenities and facilities catering to their specific needs are “sorely lacking”.

Women often have multifaceted identities – balancing household tasks and child-rearing responsibilities alongside their professional careers, he said.

The CJI said that managing both domestic and professional spheres can be a daunting exercise for women.

“The expectation that women shoulder dual roles as caregivers and as professionals, highlights the need for supportive policies and environment within our legal institutions,” he said.

He said that the introduction of a meal for Rs 25 for the staff of the Supreme Court, where more than 2,000 women work, after he took over as CJI, has gone a long way in helping those women who do not find time to cook for themselves in the morning to get wholesome food at their workplace.

“A small initiative like this makes such a big difference to the empowerment of women,” he said.

The CJI urged the legal fraternity to build on the initiatives, ensuring that they translate into meaningful actions that foster more equitable treatment for women.

“Encouraging diversity and inclusion strengthens our legal system and enriches the perspectives that drive justice,” he said.

Stating that the Supreme Court has in its 75-year history designated a total of 313 women as senior counsels, he said that this February, 12 women were designated senior counsels at one go in one particular selection.

Holding that common citizens feel that adjournments have become a routine of the judicial system in present times, he said that this perception is disheartening.

“This leads to prolonged litigations, increased costs for litigants and delayed justice, ultimately eroding the public trust in our legal system,” he said.

Drawing reference from popular Hindi cinema ‘Jolly LLB’, he said that the protagonist in the movie confronted the courtroom dynamics and that Jolly observed another advocate manipulating evidence to favour his wealthy client.

“This fictional portrayal vividly reflects real-world concerns where professionalism and ethical standards are sometimes compromised affecting the credibility of legal proceedings,” he said.

Asking whether lawyers should be ceasing to do work to pay respect to a member of the Bar who has passed away, he said.

“Every minute of judicial time which is lost is judicial time lost in answering a case of a litigant who is crying for justice,” he said.

He said that the traditions of the legal fraternity can be suitably altered to pay respects and yet at the same time make themselves in tune with the demands of modern society.

The CJI also called for doing away with resistance to technological advancements within the legal profession.

Supreme Court judges Justice B R Gavai and Justice Dipankar Dutta, Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court T S Sivagnanam were among those present at the programme. PTI AMR NN

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

While corporal punishment is now looked down upon as a cruel method to discipline children, it was very much a reality for generations that did their schooling decades ago. For Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, it wasn’t different either.

Speaking at a seminar on Saturday, he recalled when he was caned at school for a small mistake.

“How you treat children has a deep impact on their minds throughout their life…I will never forget that day in school. I was not a juvenile delinquent when my hands were caned. I was learning craft and didn’t bring the right sized needles to class for the assignment,” he said.

The Chief Justice, who was then in Class 5, said the way people treat children leaves a lasting impact on their minds.

“I still remember that I requested my teacher to cane my bum and not my hand,” he added. Out of shame, he could not tell his parents and had to hide his injured right palm for 10 days.

“The physical wound healed, but left an everlasting imprint on the mind and soul. It is still with me when I do my work. The impact of such travesty on children is so deep,” said the CJI.

The Chief Justice of India shared the incident while speaking at the National Symposium on Juvenile Justice organised by the Supreme Court of Nepal in Kathmandu.

While discussing juvenile justice, we need to recognise the vulnerabilities and unique needs of children embroiled in legal disputes and ensure that our justice systems respond with compassion, rehabilitation and opportunities for reintegration into society, said CJI Chandrachud.

He said it is important to understand the multifaceted nature of adolescence and its interrelationship with various dimensions of the society.

At the seminar, the CJI also mentioned a petition filed in the Supreme Court demanding the termination of pregnancy of a minor rape survivor.

He also talked about the challenges faced by India’s juvenile justice system. A major challenge is inadequate infrastructure and resources, especially in rural areas, which has led to overcrowded and substandard juvenile detention centres, due to which providing proper support to juvenile delinquents and efforts to provide rehabilitation may be hindered, he said.

Social realities must also be considered as many children are pushed into criminal activities by gangs, the CJI said, adding that adolescents with disabilities are also vulnerable – as is seen how visually impaired children are exploited for begging by criminal syndicates in India.

A view of Supreme Court of India. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Supreme Court on April 5 dismissed a plea seeking transportation of the mortal remains of Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Muhammad Abdul Muqtadir Shah Masood Ahmad from Bangladesh to India.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud said there is no constitutionally enforceable right to seek transportation of the Sufi saint’s mortal remains as he was a Pakistani citizen.

“He is a Pakistani citizen, how can you expect the Union of India to bring his burials in India?” the Bench asked. The counsel, appearing for petitioner Dargah Hazrat Mulla Syed, said the saint has no family in Pakistan, whereas, at the dargah in Uttar Pradesh, he was the Sajjada-nasheen (spiritual head).

The lawyer told the top court that the saint was born in Prayagraj, then called Allahabad, and migrated to Pakistan. He got Pakistani citizenship in 1992.

“He was elected as the Sajjada Nasheen of the shrine viz. Dargah Hazrat Mulla Syed Mohammad Shah in 2008 in Prayagraj. He executed his will in 2021 expressing a desire to be buried in the shrine. He died in Dhaka where he was buried. There are difficulties in entertaining such a petition.

“Hazrat Shah was a Pakistani citizen and has no constitutional right… the practical difficulties related to exhumation. As a matter of first principle, it would not be right for this court to direct the transportation of the mortal remains of a citizen of a foreign state in India,” the Bench, also comprising Justices J. B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.

New Delhi:

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud during an interview to NDTV gave a peek into how a typical day starts for him, one of the custodians of the Constitution. For the Chief Justice of India, the day begins at 3.30 am.

“The environment is calm at 3.30 am. At that time I can contemplate on things, and do yoga. I have been doing yoga for 25 years,” Chief Justice Chandrachud told NDTV.

His best friend, the Chief Justice said, is his wife Kalpana Das with whom he maintains an Ayurvedic diet.

“We both are vegan, and our lifestyle is plant-based. I think whatever we eat affects our brain. I think your fitness comes from within, from within yourself, from your mind, from your heart. You can be as fit as you want,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.

“My life is no different from other people’s lives. It has ups and downs. I have seen many aspects of life as have others. You should always keep hope to overcome any problem. It is important to understand that every difficulty has a purpose. You will not know about it then, but you will know later,” the Chief Justice said.

The Chief Justice also shared some tips about healthy eating. “I prefer to eat ramdana and not wholegrains. In Maharashtra, sabudana khichid is made on fasting days, so I eat ramdana. I have been fasting every Monday for the past 25 years. Ramdana is a must-have in Maharashtra,” he said. “It’s a very light food, and is one of the healthiest,” he added.

Does Chief Justice Chandrachud have a cheat day? “Yes,” he said. “I like ice-cream on my cheat day.”

“Half of your difficulties will be solved if you keep your mind under control,” he said.

Chief Justice Chandrachud began serving as the head of the Supreme Court in November 2022 for a two-year tenure. His father, Chief Justice YV Chandrachud, was the longest-serving Chief Justice Of India.

Chief Justice Chandrachud holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from St Stephen’s College. He later completed LLB from Delhi University, and LLM and a doctorate from Harvard Law School in the US.

Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud is felicitated with the ‘Award for Global Leadership’, at Harvard Law School, in Massachusetts, USA.
| Photo Credit: PTI

However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those responsible for its functioning happen to be a “good lot,” Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud said while citing B. R. Ambedkar and hailing his idea of constitutionalism as being responsible for dismantling deeply entrenched caste hierarchy in India.

The CJI made the observations during his keynote address at the Sixth International Conference on the ‘Unfinished Legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’ at the Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, in the U.S. on October 22.

The CJI highlighted the idea of constitutionalism of Ambedkar, who headed the committee tasked to frame the Indian Constitution and said it was instrumental in transforming Indian society by dismantling deeply entrenched caste hierarchy and promoting social, economic and political empowerment of marginalised groups.

“Ambedkar’s legacy continues to shape the constitutional values of modern India, serving as a beacon for social reform and the pursuit of justice for all,” he said.

He cited Ambedkar, who had said however good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it happen to be a bad lot.

“However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those who are called to work it happen to be a good lot,” the CJI said quoting Ambedkar.

The CJI, who is in the USA, was also felicitated with the ‘Award for Global Leadership’ by the Center on the Legal Profession, Harvard Law School on Saturday.

The announcement about CJI Chandrachud being chosen as the recipient of the award was made on January 11, 2023 in an online ceremony.

He was present at the Harvard Law School on Saturday for a fireside chat with David Wilkins, Professor at Harvard Law School and Faculty Director, Center on the Legal Profession.

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea highlighting legal and ethical issues posed by live surgery broadcast.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud issued notices to the Centre and others, including the National Medical Commission (NMC), seeking their replies on the plea filed by some Delhi-based persons.

The bench, also comprising justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted that the petitioners have sought a direction to the NMC to appoint a committee to regularly monitor live surgery broadcast and also framing of guidelines regarding this.

The court posted the matter for hearing after three weeks. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

There may be a thousand issues meriting attention but everything cannot be entertained to make the Supreme Court dysfunctional, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said on Tuesday while declining to hear an interim plea on the deaths of captive elephants in Kerala.

“These are local issues which may be dealt with by the high courts. If they make an egregious error then we are here to correct those errors. But you know … how can we run the country,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra said.

“What is the role of the Supreme Court in the nation … we are not to deal with these, you know, micromanagement of issues which arise all over the country. If the high court commits an egregious error we are here and will correct the error,” it said.

Senior advocate CU Singh, appearing for an intervenor, at the outset raised the issue of deaths of captive elephants in Kerala, violation of rules and sought an urgent hearing.

“More than 135 captive elephants in Kerala died due to neglect, and overwork between February 2019 to November 2022,” he said.

The bench asked Mr Singh to approach the high court with the grievance, saying the judges there are aware of the local conditions and the ramifications.

The Chief Justice was irked over the “proliferation” of interim applications in pending cases and stressed the need to understand the role of the Supreme Court.

On being insisted that the matter be heard in the Supreme Court itself, the bench said, “Now we cannot entertain everything here to make the Supreme Court dysfunctional.”

“We are of the view that it will not be possible to entertain such IAs (interim applications). The intervenor may be heard on substantive issues when the writ petition is listed,” the bench said and listed the main case for hearing in December.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In a break from his rigorous schedule, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud was spotted taking a stroll around the Supreme Court campus. During his walk, he interacted with media personnel and also accepted their invitation to visit the press lounge later.

After completing a hearing, the constitution bench of five Supreme Court judges suddenly decided to take a break. Along with his fellow judges, the Chief Justice stepped out on the Supreme Court grounds. Justice Hrishikesh Roy, Justice PS Narasimha, Justice Pankaj Mittal, and Justice Manoj Mishra joined Chandrachud on the walk.

They first visited the cafeteria and enjoyed samosas and coffees there before going out to check the status of the new electronic passes. These passes will soon become mandatory to enter the Supreme Court premises.

Chief Justice Chandrachud interacted with the media as he was heading back to his chambers.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government if a change in the law is warranted on the legal question of whether a person holding a driving licence for a light motor vehicle is entitled to legally drive a transport vehicle of a particular weight.

Observing that these are policy issues impacting the livelihood of lakhs of people, the five-judge constitution bench said the government needs to take a “fresh look” at the matter while asserting that it needs to be taken up at the policy level.