'We're Here To Do A Constitutional Duty, Not To Please Anyone' : CJI DY Chandrachud

"We are here to do a constitutional duty and not to please you or anyone", Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud told PIL petitioner Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, while dismissing a petition filed by him seeking uniform age of marriage for men and women.

What irked the CJI was a comment made by Upadhyay- "What was the point of transferring this to Supreme Court?". The Court had transferred the petition pending in the Delhi High Court.

Giving a firm response, CJI Chandrachud said that Upadhyay need not offer "gratuitous comments".

"We are not here to hear your opinions. Fortunately, our legitimacy doesn't depend on what you feel about us. We don't want your gratuitous comments on what you feel about us. We're here to do our constitutional duty, not here to please you. Nor are we here to please any polity. So don't you give us your gratuitous comments on how you feel for us. You're a member of the bar, argue before us. This is not a political forum", CJI told Upadhyay.

CJI observed during the hearing that it was ultimately a matter for the Parliament to decide. "Mr Upadhyay, don't make a mockery of Article 32. There are some matters which are reserved for the parliament. We must defer to the parliament. We can't enact law here. We should not perceive that we're the exclusive custodian of constitution. Parliament is also a custodian."

Case Title: Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. UoI And Anr. TC(C) No. 3/2023