21 retired judges write to CJI DY Chandrachud over concern regarding ‘unwarranted pressure on judiciary’

21 retired Supreme Court and High Court judges wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud titled ‘need to safeguard judiciary from unwarranted pressure’ expressing concern over ‘the practice of selectively praising judicial decisions that align with one's views while vehemently criticising those that do not, undermines the very essence of judicial review and the rule of law.’ “It has come to our notice that these elements, motivated by narrow political interests and personal gains, are striving to erode the public's confidence in our judicial system. Their methods are manifold and insidious, with clear attempts to sway judicial processes by casting aspersions on the integrity of our courts and the judges. Such actions not only disrespect the sanctity of our judiciary but also pose a direct challenge to the principles of fairness and impartiality that judges, as guardians of the law, have sworn to uphold,” the letter stated. 

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Some of the prominent names among those who signed the letter include Justices Deepak Verma, Rajiv Lochan, MR Shah and Lokpal Singh. “The strategy employed by these groups is deeply troubling - ranging from the propagation of baseless theories intended to malign the judiciary's reputation to engaging in overt and covert attempts to influence judicial outcomes to their favour. This behaviour, we observe, is particularly pronounced in the cases and causes of social, economic and political significance, including the cases involving certain individuals, wherein the lines between advocacy and manoeuvring are blurred to the detriment of judicial independence,” the letter added.