On Independence Day, CJI DY Chandrachud’s remark on ‘demolition, arbitrary arrest’, and judiciary’s role

Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud on Tuesday said the greatest challenge before the Indian judiciary is to eliminate the barriers to accessing justice and make sure that judiciary is inclusive and accessible to the last person in the line.

D Y Chandrachud said the aim is to create a judicial system that is more accessible and cost-effective for the people and that the full potential of technology has to be tapped to overcome the procedural barriers to justice while speaking at the Independence Day celebrations organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) at the apex court lawns.

The CJI also said that a sense of confidence and solace should be there in an individual that the judges of the Supreme Court will be there in an event of an arbitrary arrest, a threatened demolition, if their properties are attached unlawfully, as reported by NDTV.

"As I look to the future, I believe the greatest challenge before the Indian judiciary is to eliminate the barriers to accessing justice," he said as reported by news agency PTI.

"We have to enhance access to justice procedurally by eliminating the constraints which prevent citizens from approaching courts and substantively, by building confidence in the courts' ability to dispense justice and we have a road map in place to make sure that the future of Indian judiciary is inclusive and accessible to the last person in the line," the CJI said.

“Judges and lawyers should conduct themselves in a manner that inspires confidence about the independence and integrity of the legal process… I can assure you that every complaint, each letter to me and even addressed to social media instead of me, is dealt with by me. But I request lawyers, if you have any grievance do not run outside the court, you have the head of the family sitting here to address it,” Live Law quoted Justice Chandrachud as saying at the Independence Day celebrations organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association or SCBA.

While referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at the Red Fort, Justice Chandrachud said the PM mentioned about the apex court's efforts to translate judgements in Indian languages.

The CJI said up to now, 9,423 judgements of the top court have been translated in regional languages.

Besides the CJI, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, other judges of the apex court, Attorney General R Venkataramani, SCBA office bearers, including its president and senior advocate Adish C Aggarwala and secretary Rohit Pandey, were present during the programme.

During his address, the CJI said over 19,000 cases have been disposed by the top court between March and June this year.