Approximately 600 attorneys have written a letter to Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud expressing concern over the concerning trend of some attorneys attempting to influence judges through the media at night while defending politicians during the day.
Concern about efforts to undermine the judiciary’s integrity has been voiced in a letter signed by a number of attorneys, including Senior Advocates Harish Salve, Manan Kumar Mishra, Adish Aggarwala, Chetan Mittal, Pinky Anand, Hitesh Jain, Ujjwala Pawar, Uday Holla, and Swaroopama Chaturvedi.
according to the letter. “We, the undersigned, are a group of lawyers who are writing to you expressing our deepest concern on the manner in which a vested interest group is trying to pressure the judiciary, influence judicial process and defame our courts on the basis of frivolous logic and stale political agendas,”.
It further stated that the ambiance of trust and harmony that characterizes the operation of the judiciary is being vitiated by the theatrics of such attorneys.
It was said that they make up lies about the “golden age” of courts in the past and compare it to the present.
As per the statement, “Their pressure tactics are most obvious in political cases, particularly those involving political figures accused of corruption. These tactics are damaging to our courts and threaten our democratic fabric. This heated interest group operates in various ways. They create false narratives of a supposed ‘better past’ and ‘golden period of the courts, contrasting it with the happenings in the present. These are nothing but intentional statements, made to sway court decisions and to embarrass the court’s for certain political gains.“
Additionally, the letter purported that these attorneys have devised a theory regarding bench fixing.
The letter stated, “They have also concocted an entire theory of ‘bench fixing’ – which is not just disrespectful and contemptuous – it’s an attack on the honour and dignity of our courts. At times, it also leads to slanderous attacks and insinuations on respected judges. They have also stooped to the level of comparing our courts to those countries where there is no rule of law and accusing our judicial institutions with unfair practices. These aren’t just criticisms; they are direct attacks meant to damage the public’s trust in our judiciary and threaten the fair application of our laws.”
It added that a “my way or the highway” mentality is manifestly at work.
“Any decision they (lawyers supporting a particular political party) agree with is hailed but any decision they disagree with is trashed, smeared and disregarded. This cherry picking has been visible in very recent judgments too.”
It was said that under no circumstances can these attempts to undermine and manipulate the courts be tolerated, for personal and political purposes.
The lawyers urged, “We request the Supreme Court to stand strong and take steps to protect our courts from these attacks. Staying silent or doing nothing could accidentally give more power to those who mean to do harm. This is not the time to maintain dignified silence as such efforts are happening since few years and too frequently.“