Public wishes judges make anti-govt comments: outgoing SC judge claims

New Delhi: Addressing his farewell speech on Friday, the outgoing Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi commented that court judges needed to comment against the government or establishment if they wanted to be judged as independent or unbiased by the public.

Justice Rastogi said: "What I realised in these five to ten years... it is my feeling, I may be wrong, and I must be proved to be wrong. If somebody wants to say that I am an independent judge, unbiased judge. To my understanding, decide the matter anti-establishment, and give your opinion against the government, you are an independent judge. I said 'no'. We as judges are supposed to decide the matter with material on record, whether it will be this way or that way is not for consideration."

"This thing has been perceived by people at large, and the media also supports it. You make a comment against the government, everybody will be happy, finest judge. Give judgment against anti-establishment, finest judge... this practice prevalent with people needs to change. I may decide the matter against the government or in favour of the government... what we decide is on the basis of material on record and do justice to the people. I have not been able to gather where this term justice lies, whether I decide in favour of the petition or against the petitioner."

Justice Rastogi was elevated as a judge of the Rajasthan High Court in 2013 and served as its acting Chief Justice for a short stint in 2016. In 2018, he was transferred to the Tripura High Court as its Chief Justice before his elevation to the Supreme Court on November 2, 2018. Justice Rastogi will retire on June 18.

The farewell function was organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).

Based on IANS story