Don't blindly follow rules, conflicts have human face: CJI Ramana to judges

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, April 23

Maintaining that judging is not an easy task, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday said judges should be aware of social realities in this era of instant noodles when people expect instant justice.

Laying the foundation stone for the Administrative Block of Madras High Court in Chennai, the CJI said, “Before rendering any decision, judges have to weigh several socio-economic factors and the impact of their decision on the society.”

Noting that the biggest issue affecting all institutions nowadays, including the judiciary, was ensuring sustained faith in the eyes of the public, he said judging wasn’t an easy task.

“Judges should be aware of social realities. We have to carefully watch the changing social needs and expectations. The world is moving very fast,” he said.

“We are witnessing this change in every sphere of life. From the 5 day test match we have moved on to the 20-20 format. We prefer short duration entertainment over a three-hour long movie. From filter coffee, we have moved on to instant coffee. In this era of instant noodles, people expect instant justice. But they do not realise that real justice will be a casualty if we strive for instant justice,” the CJI said.

“I firmly believe that the judiciary should never be viewed as a mere enforcer of law. It is an engine of social integration,” he said.

Asking judges to sharpen their ideas and perceptions, Justice Ramana said, “We need to expand our knowledge base and adopt technology as an enabler. There cannot be a gap between the mind of a judge and the needs of the society. Ultimately, we are entrusted with the duty to deliver justice for all.”

He said, “Dispensing justice is not only a constitutional duty, but also a social one. Conflicts are inevitable for any society. But constructive resolution of conflict is integral to maintain the social order. Constructive conflict resolution” is not a mere technical job. Particularly in a country like India, judges cannot blindly apply the rules, procedures and statutes. After all, conflicts have a human face. We are constantly aware about our duty to render justice, not merely procedural, but also substantial.”

The CJI said, “The judiciary is vested with immense constitutional responsibility of maintaining the rule of law and checking executive and legislative excesses. We have the duty of upholding and enforcing the constitutional values. It is no doubt a heavy burden. But it is one that we have gladly chosen on the day we took our constitutional oath. This is the reason why strengthening judicial institutions has been my top priority. Strengthening the judiciary is imperative for a democracy, sustained on the rule of law.”

He said filling up of judicial vacancies and increasing the sanctioned strength of judges was imperative to reduce the caseload per judge and to improve the judge-population ratio.