Judiciary's mission is to administer justice to the common man: Justice D Y Chandrachud

Judiciary's mission is to administer justice to the common man: Justice D Y Chandrachud

The quest for fairness unites judges and lawyers

Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud has said that in a court of law there might be one universal truth, but the paths to it can be many. He was speaking at the inaugural function of the new annex building of the Bombay High Court's Aurangabad Bench.

He said that in the quest for justice, both judges and lawyers have one common mission, which is to administer justice to the common man.

"We are all dressed in black and white, as it is a symbol of the homogeneity of this profession. Dressing alike means representing a common mission of justice for the citizens," he conceded while suggesting that the younger members at the Bar must be nurtured and made to understand this.

Justice Chandrachud highlighted the achievements of the judiciary, especially with respect to the disposal of cases. Still, admitting that the pendency of cases in courts was high, he felt a large number of cases were disposed also.

Lauding the feat of the judiciary, he said, "We find from the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) that 15.42 crore orders are available. We have given judgment in 11 crore cases and only 4 crore cases are pending."

Meanwhile, the High Courts have 56.02 lakh cases pending and 3.18 crore cases have been concluded.

The Supreme Court judge highlighted, "In Maharashtra, over 48 lakh cases are pending, the oldest case being from Angola Taluka where the accused is absconding since 1958. About 16,474 cases have been stayed by the High Court."

Hence, just as there is a cause to celebrate, there should also be introspection on the way forward, he guided.