Ajit Karn
The Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, has highlighted the issue of harassment in a time when people’s patience and tolerance are low. Chief Justice Chandrachud stated today at an event on law in the era of globalisation in Delhi that this problem is caused by people’s unwillingness to embrace opinions and perspectives that differ from their own.
Chief Justice Chandrachud stated, “In everything that we do – and believe me, as judges we are no exception to this – in everything that you do, you risk being attacked by someone who does not share your viewpoint.”
“We live in a time when people are short on patience, short on tolerance, and short on patience – which reminds me to be concise – but people are also short on tolerance because we are unwilling to tolerate differing viewpoints,” he said.
On social media, particularly on Twitter, the largest microblogging website in the world, harassment is a serious issue. Despite rigorous checks and mechanisms to prevent abuse, anyone can be a target.
Multiple times, the Supreme Court has expressed concern regarding cyberbullying, which can lead to physical assaults. In 2017, after observing social media assaults on virtually every issue, including judges and legal proceedings, the Supreme Court agreed that regulation was necessary. It accurately identified the issue of social media users spreading false information about court proceedings.
Regarding the issue of appointing more women to the Supreme Court and the high court, Chief Justice Chandrachud stated that he strongly supports it, but that the answer is “a little complicated.”
“I am frequently asked why we can’t have more women on the Supreme Court, why we can’t have more high court justices from the women we already have. And the answer is not straightforward; it is somewhat complicated. And I trust it contains a truthful gem “said Chief Justice Chandrachud.
“In terms of diversity and inclusion, the origins of our institutions today reflect the condition of the profession, say, twenty years ago. Because the judges who arrive to the Supreme Court in 2023 reflect the state of the bar at the turn of the millennium, they reflect the state of the bar at the turn of the millennium “he said.
