Chief Justice of India NV Ramana: Shrinking space for Opposition not good sign for healthy democracy
New Delhi, July 16
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday said it was sad that the country was witnessing a decline in the quality of legislative performance and laws were being passed without detailed deliberations and scrutiny.
Undertrials need urgent attention
In our criminal justice system, the process is the punishment. From hasty indiscriminate arrests to difficulty in obtaining bail, the process leading to the prolonged incarceration of undertrials needs urgent attention. NV Ramana, CJI
Addressing a seminar on “75 years of Parliamentary Democracy” in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, the CJI said political opposition was translating into hostility, which was not a sign of a healthy democracy. He said as a result, mutual respect between the government and the Opposition was diminishing. “Political opposition should not translate into hostility, which we have been sadly witnessing these days. Unfortunately, space for Opposition is diminishing,” CJI Ramana said.
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said 71 different acts would be repealed in the coming Parliament session. He also stressed the need to promote local languages in high court and subordinate court proceedings. “Mother tongue shouldn’t be considered lesser than English,” he said.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 18th All India Legal Services Authority in Jaipur earlier, the CJI described the high number of undertrial prisoners as a “grave” issue affecting the criminal justice system. He stressed the need for steps to address the issue, saying there was a need to question procedures that led to prolonged incarceration without trial.
Of the 6.10 lakh prisoners in the country, nearly 80 per cent were undertrial, he said.
“Prisons are black boxes. Prisoners are often unseen, unheard citizens,” he said, highlighting that prisons have a different impact on different categories of prisoners, particularly those belonging to marginalised communities.
