Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Saturday voiced his concerns about referring to courts as “temples of justice,” warning of the “grave danger” if judges start seeing themselves as deities of these temples.
CJI Chandrachud made these remarks while speaking at a regional conference of the National Judicial Academy in Kolkata.
“When we are addressed as ‘Honour,’ ‘Lordship,’ or ‘Ladyship,’ there is a very grave danger… and people say that the court is a temple of justice. There is a grave danger that we perceive ourselves as deities in those temples. Therefore, speaking for myself, though I have my own deeply personal values, I am a little reticent when I am told that this is a temple of justice because ‘temple’ postulates that judges are in the position of a deity,” Justice Chandrachud said.
He added that he prefers to see judges as those who serve the people with compassion and empathy.
“I would rather recast the role of the judge as a server of the people. When you regard yourselves as people who are there to serve others, then you bring in the notion of compassion, empathy, of judging others but not being judgmental about others.”
CJI Chandrachud’s comments came shortly after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, also present at the event, likened courts to places of worship.
“Judiciary is an important temple for us. It is just like mandir, masjid, gurudwara, and girja (church). It is our supreme authority for delivering justice to people… the last frontier for getting justice and upholding constitutional rights,” Banerjee said.
Banerjee also called for a judiciary free from political bias, emphasizing that the courts are the people’s only hope for preserving democracy and the constitution.
“It is not my intention to manhandle or humiliate anyone. But my submission, my kind submission, is that please see that no political bias exists in the judiciary. The judiciary must be pure, honest, absolutely pure, sacred, and let the people do the Pooja,” the Chief Minister said.
