Four SC Judges Allege Rot in Judiciary, CJI Assures to End Rift
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Chelameswar Calls Press Conference
Justice Jasti Chelameswar, the second senior most judge of the Supreme Court, has called a press conference at his house at noon today. The reason for the meeting has not been announced.
It is being reported that the benches in Courtrooms 2 and 4 of the Supreme Court have risen. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul sits on the bench in Courtroom 2 with Justice Chelameswar. Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta form the bench in Courtroom 4.
An investigation by The Caravan magazine in December 2017 had raised concerns regarding the circumstances of Judge Loya's death.
Justice Chelameswar had referred the matters in the medical bribery cases – filed last year by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms and senior advocate Kamini Jaiswal – to a Constitution Bench. However, the case saw Chief Justice Dipak Misra exercising his powers as master of the roster to reverse the decision.
'SC Administration Not in Order'
Addressing the gathering at the lawns of his residence, Justice Chelameswar said this is “an extraordinary event in the history of the nation”.
“With no pleasure we are compelled to take the decision to call a press conference. The administration of the SC is not in order and many things which are less than desirable have happened in the last few months,” he said.
Chelameswar was accompanied by Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph, and Madan Lokur.
Judicial Independence is Key to Survival of Democracy
“Judicial independence is key to the survival of democracy,” Justice Chelameswar said, adding:
'Approached CJI But Failed to Persuade Him'
Training his guns on the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justice Chelameswar said: "We tried to persuade the CJI (even today morning) but we failed. Our efforts to seek remedial measures failed. Unless this institution is preserved, democracy will not survive in this country,” he said.
Chelameswar said that a few months ago, the four judges had submitted a letter to the CJI seeking “a particular thing to be done in a particular manner”.
“It was done, but in such a way that it raised further questions on the integrity of institution,” he said.
Justice Loya Case
When asked by a reporter if the case in question pertains to the mystery surrounding the death of Judge Loya, Justice Chelameswar replied in the affirmative.
Nation Should Decide if CJI Must be Impeached
“We are not running politics here. We don’t want to make statements and someone else makes another statement,” he said. When asked if Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra should be impeached, Chelameswar said: “We’re not saying anything. Let the nation decide that".
Letter Released
The letter that Justice Jasti Chelameswar referred to at the press conference has been released to the public. “We will give you a copy of the letter which we had written two months back. All the issues are spelt out there. Go through it, you will know all the issues,” he had said.
Read the remaining pages on The Quint.
Watch the Press Conference Live
SC Judges Draw Support
According to reports, two more judges have met Justice Chelameswar over the issue to express their support in the matter.
Watch: The Quint Decode the Press Conference
PM Modi Takes Note of Allegations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and discussed the allegations raised by the SC judges at the press conference, ANI reported.
Judicial Predictability is a Cornerstone of Justice: Karuna Nundy
"What has been spoken about is judicial predictability. It's a cornerstone of justice - which cases go to which bench needs to be predictable and determined by subject matter, seniority, the computerised SC system etc. It gives a certain assurance to the litigant that justice is being done,” Supreme Court Advocate Karuna Nundy told The Quint.
“The outcome of a particular case may not be different but the process of who decides, in a predictable manner, is something that is quite important," Nundy said.
Lawyers Split Over Development
“I think it's a historic press conference,” Supreme Court advocate Indira Jaising told ANI. "I think we, the people of India, have a right to know what is going on within the judiciary and I welcome this,” she was quoted as saying.”
"CJI Dipak Misra is misusing his power and this must stop. It’s extremely dangerous for our democracy. The for judges have made the people aware about how power is being misused within SC," SC lawyer Prashant Bhushan told CNN-News18.
Slamming the conference, former High Court judge RS Sodhi told ANI: “I think all four judges should be impeached. They should be shut out. They should be sent home. They have no place now to give judicial decisions. They’ve started a trade union there. They should be sent home.”
See more reactions by the legal fraternity to the move on The Quint.
CJI Dipak Misra Meets AG
CJI Dipak Misra and AG KK Venugopal held a meeting about the press conference, sources told ANI. However, Bar and Bench later reported that the meeting was in connection to the Unitech case and not the developments of the day.
'Democracy in Danger': Congress
Opposition Congress took to Twitter to react to the developments.
Explained: What Does Supreme Court Judges’ Letter to CJI Mean?
Read more highlights of the letter here.
Yashwant Sinha Reacts to 'Unprecedented Move'
Govt Caught in A Fix: Ganguly
The government is caught in a "fix" over the SC judges' press meet, former Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly told CNN-News18. He told the news channel:
CJI Must Address Concerns: Lodha
RM Lodha, the 41st Chief Justice of India told NDTV that the “grievances” of the top court judges should be addressed by the CJI Dipak Misra.
Issues Raised by SC Judges 'Internal Matter of Judiciary': Govt Sources
The issues raised by the four senior Supreme Court judges in the unprecedented press conference are an "internal" matter of the judiciary, highly placed sources told PTI.
The government has no say in it and does not wish to interfere, sources said, adding that the apex court should settle the issue at the earliest as the faith of the people in the judiciary is at stake.
However, they also added that the apex court should settle the issue at the earliest as the faith of the people in the judiciary is at stake.
Government sources also told News18 that the government is the arbiter of “society and not judiciary.”
Bar Council To Meet Tomorrow
Bar Council of India reportedly said that it was “unaware of judges' internal matter”. The Council is expected to meet tomorrow to discuss issue, reported News18.
Watch: The Quint Breaks Down the Letter to CJI
The Quint breaks down the letter to CJI Dipak Misra from four senior judges of the Supreme Court.
Sibal to Meet Rahul to Discuss Judges' PC
Congress leader and senior advocate Kapil Sibal will meet party president Rahul Gandhi at 5 pm on Friday, 12 January to discuss the press conference by the four Supreme Court judges, reported ANI.
Historic Step Taken to Protect Our Right to Justice: Vrinda Grover
Senior lawyer and human rights activist Vrinda Grover hailed the four justices of Supreme Court for their public statement. In a Facebook post, she wrote:
Loss Of Prestige For Entire Institution: Hansraj Bharadwaj
Former Union Law Minister Hansraj Bharadwaj said that the allegations made by the apex court judges “was a loss of prestige for the entire institution.”
Deeply Anguished With SC Developments: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reacted to the allegations made by the four judges of the Supreme Court, saying that she was “deeply” anguished by the developments. She added that “extreme interference” of the central government with the judiciary was “dangerous.”
SC to Hear Independent Probe Plea in Judge Loya's Death on Monday
The Supreme Court on Friday, 12 January, sought the postmortem report of Judge BH Loya from the Maharashtra government.
Observing that the matter was "very serious," the Bench listed for hearing the pleas seeking an independent probe into the case on 15 January, reported Live Law.
At the press conference, the justices had replied in the affirmative when asked if the matter of contention was related to the Judge Loya case.
Read more about the Judge Loya case here.
D Raja Meets Justice Chelameswar
Senior CPI leader D Raja, following his meeting with Justice Chelameswar on Friday, said that he would not give the meet a “political colour.”
Congress Leaders Arrive at Rahul's Residence
Congress leaders and senior advocates Salman Khurshid, Manish Tewari and P Chidambaram arrived at party president Rahul Gandhi's residence, according to reports. The party leaders are expected to discuss the allegations raised by the SC judges at a party press conference shortly.
Hope All Actors Seize This Moment: Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, speaking to News18, said that the press conference by the judges was a significant moment for the “evolution of our democracy.”
Understand the Judges' Intent: Former A-G
Former attorney general Shrihari Aney said that it was important to understand what led to the judges to take such a step.
Democracy Functions In Open Spaces: Rebecca Join
Senior advocate Rebecca John said that democracy functioned in “open spaces and not behind opaque doors,” adding that the issue was about institutional integrity. In a Facebook post, the lawyer wrote:
Press Conference Could Have Been Avoided: A-G
Attorney General KK Venugopal said the move by the senior-most Supreme Court judges to hold a press conference "could have been avoided," and the judges would now have to act in "statesmanship" to ensure complete harmony.
Venugopal, who held a meeting with CJI Dipak Misra after the press conference, expressed hope that all judges, including the CJI, would rise to the occasion and "wholy neutralise" the "divisiveness," reported PTI.
Watch: Senior Advocate Kamini Jaiswal on SC Controversy
Senior advocate Kamini Jaiswal weighed in on the controversy surrounding the letter sent to the CJI Misra.
Watch: Congress Addresses Media on SC Judges’ Allegations
Congress spokesperson RS Surjewala said that the observations made by the serving SC judges are “extremely disturbing and have far reaching consequences.”
Justice Loya’s Death Needs to Be Investigated Properly: Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi on the allegations made by the top court judges earlier in the day, said that all citizens who “love the idea of justice” are looking at this issue.
Gandhi demanded the highest-level of investigation in Justice Loya’s death, as hinted by the judges.
Watch: Karuna Nundy Speaks on the SC Controversy
Top Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy breaks down the controversial letter sent by the judges to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.
Unfortunate and Dangerous for Democracy: Somnath Chatterjee
Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee said that the press conference by the serving judges would create more problems.
Judges Have Informed Citizens of a Dangerous Pattern: CJAR
The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) released a statement applauding the judges who went public with their grievances.
SC Judges' Allegations an Internal Matter: Sambit Patra
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra, at a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi, said that the allegations made by the apex court judges was the internal matter of the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Bar Association to Address PC Today
The Supreme Court Bar Association will hold a press conference today addressing the allegations leveled by four senior Supreme Court judges yesterday over the administration of the judicial system.
Principal Secretary to PM Denied Appointment to Meet with CJI: Reports
The Principal Secretary to the prime minister, Nripendra Misra, was reportedly denied an appointment to meet with CJI Dipak Misra today.
Nripendra Misra was seen leaving CJI Dipak Misra’s residence earlier today morning. According to reports, Misra attempted to meet with the CJI, but could not get an appointment had to leave after waiting for 5-7 minutes.
Acted in Interest of Judiciary, Justice: Kurian Joseph
Justice Kurian Joseph, one of the four senior Supreme Court judges who targeted the country's chief justice over "selective" case allocation and certain judicial orders, on Saturday expressed confidence that the issues raised by them would be resolved.
Joseph said that they acted solely in the interest of judiciary and justice, a day after he and the three other judges took the unprecedented step of addressing a press conference.
He rejected suggestions that they had violated discipline and expressed the hope that their actions will bring in more transparency in the administration of the Supreme Court.
"Stood up for justice and judiciary....that is what we said there (in New Delhi) yesterday. Nothing beyond that," Justice Joseph said in Malayalam when local television news channels approached him at his ancestral home in Kalady, seeking his reaction on yesterday's development.
"An issue has come to attention. It will certainly be solved since it has come to the attention," he told reporters.
Unity Among SC Judges by Monday: Attorney General
According to NDTV, Attorney General KK Venugopal on Saturday assured that unity among the Supreme Court judges would return by Monday.
Earlier in the day, he had voiced his hopes that the situation would soon come under control and that “everything goes down very well.”
SCAORA Urges Restraint, Releases Statement
The Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association released a statement urging the concerned stakeholders to “exercise restraint” and solve the issues “internally and within the constitutional framework.”
Bar Council Meet Begins in Delhi
The Supreme Court Bar Association along with the Bar Council of India holds a meeting in New Delhi. According to CNN-News18, BCI chairman said they will try and meet all the 25 judges in SC tomorrow and get the issue resolved.
SC Not to Take up Justice Loya Case on Monday
Due to the non-availability of Justice M Shantanagoudar, the bench comprising Justice Arun Mishra will not be hearing Justice Loya Death case on Monday. The case might get shifted to Tuesday.
SC Bar Council Holds Press Conference
“We have unanimously decided to form a seven-member delegation of the Council who will meet Honourable judges of the Supreme Court. We want that the matter be solved at the earliest,” said Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman, Bar Council of India.
They will meet the SC judges at 9 am tomorrow. He urged all political parties to not politicise the matter as it is the judiciary’s internal matter.
SCBA President Briefs the Media
Supreme Court Bar Association President Vikas Singh briefs the media about two resolutions that were passed during their meet. He said that the association has unanimously decided that differences stated by the four judges and reflected in media are of grave concern and urged they be resolved immediately.
The second resolution states all PIL matters must be heard by the CJI or must be assigned to the collegium of five judges.
Singh also said that he will meet the Chief Justice of India before they meet the four senior SC judges.
SCBA Resolution Hints That Judge Loya's Case Will Be Moved to a Higher Court
The second resolution passed by SCBA means that, if approved, Judge Loya’s case will also be moved to a senior judge’s court.
No Crisis in SC, Its An Internal Matter: Manan Mishra
Bar Council of India Chairperson after Bar Council delegation after meeting Justice Chelameswar on Sunday said that there was “no crisis.”
Delhi Bar Association Calls SC Dispute A "Black Day"
The Delhi Bar Association said that this was was a first-of-its kind incident and a black day for them.
“The Chief Justice of India should have looked into the matter beforehand. He should have called a meeting to handle things,” the association said.
Matter of Great Regret for the Family: Justice Loya's Son
Late Justice BH Loya’s son Anuj Loya, in a press conference, said that the family is pained with the chain of events in past few days. They said that it was a “matter of great regret,” and requested people to not harass them.
Speaking about his father’s death, he said that he did not have “any suspicion and it's clear.” Answering a question, he said there was suspicion earlier during the “emotional turmoil period but not now.”
Justice Loya’s lawyer Ameer Naik said:
Anuj further added that he was no one to decide whether there should be a further probe.
The SC judges on 12 January hinted that the ongoing tussle may be linked to Justice Loya’s death.
Bar Council Delegation Meets Justices Bobde, Joseph
Bar Council of India delegation met Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde and Justice Kurian Joseph at their residences in Delhi on Sunday, 14 January.
SCBA President Vikas Singh Meets CJI
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Vikas Singh met Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra at his residence on Sunday, 14 January.
The court will resume business on Monday, 15 January.
BCI Arrives At CJI's Residence
The Bar Council of India delegation arrived at CJI Dipak Misra’s residence to discuss the SC dispute, reported Bar and Bench.
BCI Leaves CJI Dipak Misra's Residence After a 50-Minute-Long Meeting
A seven-member delegation of Bar Council of India (BCI) met at the residence of CJI Dipak Misra to discuss the crisis in the judiciary. In a meeting that lasted 50 minutes, Supreme Court Bar Association President Vikas Singh met CJI Dipak Misra and handed over the SCBA resolution. The panel told PTI that they met the CJI in a congenial atmosphere and he said everything would be sorted out soon.
In a first-of-its-kind event, four most senior judges from the Supreme Court held a press conference on Friday, 12 January, to address the crumbling administration of the judiciary.
The press conference was addressed by Justice Jasti Chelameswar, along with Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph, and Madan Lokur.
- Four Supreme Court judges, Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph, appeal to the nation to preserve the independence of the judiciary
- “The administration of the SC is not in order,” the judges allege
- The judges hinted that the issue was related to the Judge Loya case
- Justice Loya’s son said that his father’s death was not suspicious, in a presser on Sunday
- Supreme Court Bar Association President met CJI on Sunday evening
- Bar Council of India discussed the crisis in a 50-minute-long meeting
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