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Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant on Monday said preserving the dignity and sanctity of constitutional institutions is a collective responsibility, as he responded publicly for the first time to the recent courtroom incident in which a young lawyer allegedly used derogatory language against him and threw documents inside the courtroom.
Speaking at a felicitation ceremony organised by the All India Senior Advocates Association (AISAA), the Chief Justice struck a conciliatory note while emphasising the need to uphold respect for constitutional institutions. "Bacche aise kai baar kar dete hain. Lekin main yeh kehna chahta hoon ki hamein constitutional institutions ki maryada aur sammaan banaye rakhna chahiye. Yeh hum sabka daayitva hai aur sabko isse nibhana hai," Justice Surya Kant said. The Chief Justice also announced that the Supreme Court has constituted four special benches to take up some of its oldest pending civil and criminal cases in an effort to reduce long-standing pendency. "In the new roster that I have prepared, not three but four benches have been constituted. Two benches will hear civil cases, and two will hear criminal cases. These four benches have been constituted to dispose of old cases," he said. Justice Surya Kant further explained that appointments to the Supreme Court are made after a comprehensive evaluation by the Collegium, which considers judicial merit, integrity, experience and several other relevant factors. He added that the Collegium also keeps in view regional representation and diversity among High Courts so that the apex court reflects the constitutional ethos and diversity of the country. The Chief Justice was speaking at a ceremony organised to felicitate newly elevated Supreme Court judges Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Arun Palli and Justice V. Mohana. Recently retired Supreme Court judges Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Pankaj Mithal were also honoured. Welcoming the gathering, Senior Advocate Adish C Aggarwala, Secretary General of the All India Senior Advocates Association and former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, described Justice Surya Kant's rise from the district courts at Hisar to the office of the Chief Justice of India as an inspiring journey marked by merit, discipline and perseverance. He said the Chief Justice's encouragement to young lawyers had fostered confidence and strengthened the relationship between the Bench and the Bar. (ANI)
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