All India Judicial Service Can Select & Promote Right Talent : President Ram Nath Kovind

Speaking at the Constitution Day celebration on Saturday, the President of India Ram Nath Kovind spoke about the need for All India Judicial Services to bring the right talent to the judiciary.

While holding a firm view that independence of Judiciary is non negotiable, President Kovind stated that without diluting it to the slightest degree, a better way may be found to select Judges for the Higher Judiciary.

He suggested that there can be an All India Judicial Service which can select, nurture and promote the right talent right from lower levels to the higher levels. He also added that the idea is not new and has been around for more than half a century, without being tested

"I'm sure there could also be other better suggestions. Ultimately the aim should be to strengthen the Justice delivery mechanism." the President said. The Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, Supreme Court judges Justices AM Khanwilkar and L Nageswara Rao also spoke at the function.

The President also stated that while three women Judges taking oath as Supreme Court Judges is a matter of pride, much more needs to be done to improve gender balance in Judiciary.

The President stated that the Judges have set on themselves a high bar, and it is incumbent upon Judges to exercise utmost discretion in their utterances in courtrooms. Indiscreet remarks even if made with good intentions, give a space for dubious interpretation to run down the Judiciary

The President stated that recently there have been cases of disparaging remarks against the judiciary on social media platforms, and while these platforms have worked wonderfully to democratise information, yet they have a dark side too.

"The anonymity granted by them is exploited by some miscreants. I hope this is short lived", he said.

The President also said that it is important for judges to maintain utmost discretion in their utterances in court rooms. Indiscreet remarks even if made with good intention give space for dubious interpretations to run down the judiciary.

Talking about the Constitution of India, President Kovid stated that the Constitution is road map of our collective journey, and at the core of it are justice Liberty equality & fraternity.

"The Preamble expands the notion of justice to include its social, economic and political aspects. That is what the Constitution wants us to secure for all citizens of India. How far have we succeeded when compared to this idea?" He said.

President Ram Nath Kovind added that, Justice is the critical fulcrum around which democracy revolves and gets further strengthened if the 3 Institutions of the State the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary are in a harmonious existence.

"In Constitution each institution has its defined space within which it functions. Except for a brief phase of aberration, the journey of our Republic has been glorious. Even during that phase I vividly recall comment of noted Jurist Nani Palkhiwala, "A few thousand square feets where a may may speak freely ". He was referring to Courts of India where freedom of speech is guaranteed." the President said.

"I'm acutely conscious of obstacles in path of Justice delivery. In Indian tradition, judges are imagined as a model of rectitude and detachment. We have rich history of legion of judges known for their utterances full of sagacity and conduct beyond reproach which have become hallmarks for future generations.

I'm happy that the Indian Judiciary is adhering to the highest standards." the President said.

President Kovind stated that in a developing country like India, a very small section of citizens can afford to knock doors of courts and access justice. While the obvious answer to what can be done to quicken the pace of Justice is reform, reform is an umbrella term under which different stake holders wish to see different things. The steps required for purpose therefore need to be broad based to evolve consensus about the reforms.

According to President Kovind, the issue of pendency has ramifications for economic growth and for development too and it is high time that all stakeholders find a way out by keeping national interest above all, as technology can be a great ally in this process

"The Pandemic has hastened the adoption of information and communication technology in the domain of the Judiciary. Young minds in these field will further propel the use of computers and internet to serve the cause od justice and serve the citizens." President Kovind said

Referring to campaign by the National Legal Service Authority, NALSA is promoting an inclusive, legal system to ensure justice to the disadvantaged sections of society through its wide network.

Concluding his address, the President of India stated that Constitution day is a day to reiterate our debt to men and women who made it possible for us to lead our lives in free Republic. It is a day to reiterate our commitment to keep walking on the path that they created for us.