NEW DELHI: Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Thursday termed the litigation over appointment of the chief secretary of Delhi as ‘fraught’ and said that as elections draw closer the courts become a site for political engagements and filing of ‘fraught’ cases tend to increase.
Speaking at the Constitution Day celebration function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, CJI Chandrachud said, “On Wednesday, I had to deal with a fraught case…where Dr A M Singhvi was on one side and the solicitor general of India was on the other side. After the conclusion of arguments, I told my colleagues (on the bench) – let us dictate the judgment on the spot as that lends a degree of transparency.
“As I was dictating the judgment, I saw a very interesting sight. The SG walked up to Dr Singhvi and both were involved in a chat to their heart’s content. For a moment, I thought they were joking about me. I thought they were saying – ‘Why is this CJI dictating such a lengthy judgment’. They may as well be talking about what food they had for lunch or may be (cracking) a joke on the judges. That is the nature of our profession” the CJI said.
When contacted, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said, “Since the judgment was being dictated after the conclusion of arguments, I went to Singhvi to talk about mundane things in life which had nothing concerning the judges, the case nor the court. We talked about pens and some Urdu shayari.” Mehta, a connoisseur of expensive and rare pens, is known for his shayari-based repartee.
Importantly, the CJI said that the Supreme Court as well as other courts deal with ‘fraught’ or hightly contested cases on a daily basis. “Some courts may have more than their share of such fraught cases. When elections come, the number of fraught cases tend to increase in the courts. We as Judges realise this. After elections, things settle down,” he said.
Recalling the grit, determination and resolve of Cornelia Sorabjee to enter legal profession in the late 19th century after she was denied entry to the bar at Bombay and forcing her to appear for pleader examination in Allahabad, the CJI said he was happy to find that a large number of women advocates are practicing in the Supreme Court and other courts as the legal profession has become inclusive to assimilate persons from different genders, castes, and regions.
Speaking at the Constitution Day celebration function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, CJI Chandrachud said, “On Wednesday, I had to deal with a fraught case…where Dr A M Singhvi was on one side and the solicitor general of India was on the other side. After the conclusion of arguments, I told my colleagues (on the bench) – let us dictate the judgment on the spot as that lends a degree of transparency.
“As I was dictating the judgment, I saw a very interesting sight. The SG walked up to Dr Singhvi and both were involved in a chat to their heart’s content. For a moment, I thought they were joking about me. I thought they were saying – ‘Why is this CJI dictating such a lengthy judgment’. They may as well be talking about what food they had for lunch or may be (cracking) a joke on the judges. That is the nature of our profession” the CJI said.
When contacted, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said, “Since the judgment was being dictated after the conclusion of arguments, I went to Singhvi to talk about mundane things in life which had nothing concerning the judges, the case nor the court. We talked about pens and some Urdu shayari.” Mehta, a connoisseur of expensive and rare pens, is known for his shayari-based repartee.
Importantly, the CJI said that the Supreme Court as well as other courts deal with ‘fraught’ or hightly contested cases on a daily basis. “Some courts may have more than their share of such fraught cases. When elections come, the number of fraught cases tend to increase in the courts. We as Judges realise this. After elections, things settle down,” he said.
Recalling the grit, determination and resolve of Cornelia Sorabjee to enter legal profession in the late 19th century after she was denied entry to the bar at Bombay and forcing her to appear for pleader examination in Allahabad, the CJI said he was happy to find that a large number of women advocates are practicing in the Supreme Court and other courts as the legal profession has become inclusive to assimilate persons from different genders, castes, and regions.