Perception that adjournment routine in judicial system disheartening: CJI

THE PUBLIC perception that adjournment is a “routine part” of the judicial system is “disheartening,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud said on Friday. Chandrachud was speaking at a function organised as part of the bicentenary celebrations of the Bar Library Club in Kolkata. “Today, common citizens feel that adjournment has become a routine part of the judicial system. This perception is disheartening as adjournments, never intended to be commonplace, have become normalised. This leads to prolonged litigation, decreased trust of litigates and delayed justice, ultimately eroding people’s trust in our legal system. My experience over the past 24 years is, it is far more difficult than delivering judgment, far more difficult than engaging with lawyers in a complex case, is the difficulty of the judge in getting a lawyer to open up the case for argument. Surely, that has to change,” he said. Chandrachud made a reference to the 2013 Bollywood movie, ‘Jolly LLB’. “Let me draw an analogy from Hindi cinema. In the movie Jolly LLB, there is a notable scene where the protagonist, a struggling lawyer named Jolly, challenges prevalent courtroom systems. In one instance, Jolly observes another advocate manipulating the evidence to favour his wealthy clients revealing the ethical compromises and injustices of our judiciary system. This fictional portrayal reflects real-world concerns, where professionalism and ethical standards are sometimes compromised, affecting the credibility of the legal proceedings,” said the CJI. He emphasized that mentorship by seniors is crucial to nursing and developing a professional bar.