Twenty-one former judges, including four retired judges of the Supreme Court, have collectively penned a letter to the Chief Justice of India, highlighting growing attempts to undermine the judiciary.
The letter, also signed by 17 ex-judges of High Court, highlights “calculated pressure, misinformation, and public disparagement” as tactics employed by certain factions with narrow political interests and personal gains.
The signatories, including former apex court judges Deepak Verma, Krishna Murari, Dinesh Maheshwari, and M R Shah, highlighted the deceptive nature of these attempts to sway judicial processes and cast doubt on courts and judges.
While the letter refrained from specifying any incident, the correspondence coincided with a war of words that has broken out between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition parties regarding actions taken against certain opposition leaders in corruption cases.
The joint letter underscores the troubling strategy of these “groups”, ranging from spreading baseless theories to influencing judicial outcomes, particularly in cases of social, economic, and political significance.
The judges express particular concern about misinformation tactics and the orchestration of public sentiment against the judiciary, which they deem detrimental to the foundational principles of democracy.
Calling upon the judiciary to fortify against such pressures, the retired judges stress the importance of preserving the sanctity and autonomy of the legal system.
They assert that the judiciary must remain a pillar of democracy, immune to transient political interests.
The signatories stand in solidarity with the judiciary and pledge support to uphold its dignity, integrity, and impartiality.
The concern isn’t limited to retired judges alone; a few days ago, over 600 lawyers also expressed similar apprehensions in a separate letter to CJI DY Chandrachud.
