Justice Ramana remembers the days when he was subjected to 'conspiratorial scrutinies'
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New Delhi: The outgoing Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, who left the chair for Justice UU Lalit after being retired from his tenure, shared the struggle he had gone through when he joined the Supreme Court.
At a function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in connection with his leaving office, Justice Ramana said that he was subjected to conspiratorial scrutinies since he took over the charge in the Supreme Court until he was placed in the highest post in the judiciary.
Referring to being the subject of 'conspiratorial scrutinies', Justice Ramana said he and his family suffered it in silence. "But ultimately, the truth will always prevail," he added.
He said his 16-month tenure as Chief Justice was happy going during which the Supreme Court could make major appointments in High Courts across the country.
"I am happy to inform you that, thanks to my collegium judges and consulting judges, in the last 16 months, we could appoint 11 judges to the apex court and out of the 255 recommended for the various High Courts, 224 judges are already appointed. This amounts to nearly 20 per cent of the total sanctioned strength of the High Courts," he said.
Justice Ramana also highlighted the need for the judiciary to reach out to the public, to dismantle the general perception that the Indian judiciary is alien to them.
"My experience so far has convinced me that in spite of fulfilling its Constitutional mandate, the judiciary does not find adequate reflections in the media, thereby depriving the people of knowledge about the Courts and the Constitution. I felt it was my Constitutional duty to dispel these notions and bring the Court closer to the people," he said.
"The judiciary is independent when it comes to adjudication of cases, but with respect to finances or appointments, it is still dependent on the Government. To coordinate and get cooperation from the Government, interaction is inevitable. But interaction does not mean influence," he said.
CJI Ramana, who took charge on April 24, 2021, said progress was also made in appointing more women judges and promoting social diversity on the Bench, adding that "this process is a reflection of the coherence and determination of the judges to strengthen our institution, to further the goal of justice".
