New Delhi:The Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud Tuesday said the Supreme Court of India is a people-centric court and not polyvocal.
The Chief Justice, while speaking at a felicitation function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for justices Ujjal Bhuyan and SVN Bhatti, stressed that one of the missions of the collegium is to ensure that the richness and diversity of India are represented. He said the apex court is not a polyvocal court rather it is a people-centric court and people will start trusting the judiciary only when they see a reflection of themselves in the people who dispense justice. “We have to continue to reflect the mirror image of our own societies”, he said.
The Chief Justice said one way to enhance the dispensation of justice is to elevate competent judges to the apex court, especially those who have dedicated years of their lives serving the judiciary and added, “This is not the Supreme Court of Maharashtra or Delhi. It is the Supreme Court of India”.
The Chief Justice stressed, “Our aim here is to reflect that this court reflects the diversity of India. I believe this has been one of the missions of the collegium to ensure that we represent the richness and diversity of India”.
He said many people have been critical of the apex court for being a polyvocal court but let's look at the flip side. “The reason why we are a polyvocal court is because no two judges are similar. Here we have a judge from Maharashtra sharing the bench with the judge of West Bengal to decide a matter from Haryana….. It is the true essence of the Supreme Court of India”, he said.
The Chief Justice said each judge brings their own unique legal experience and expertise to the table while deciding on the issues of law and added that the elevation of justices Bhuyan and Bhatti has added significant value to the apex court.
Justice Bhuyan was born on August 2, 1964. He was appointed as a judge of the Gauhati High Court on October 17, 2011 and was the senior-most judge of his parent high court (Gauhati). Justice Bhuyan served as the chief justice of the Telangana High Court from June 28, 2022 to July 12, 2023.
Justice Bhatti was born on May 6, 1962. He was appointed as a judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 12, 2013 and was the senior-most in his parent high court. Attorney General for India R Venkataramani and SCBA president Adish A Agarwala also addressed the audience on the occasion.
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