District Judges Are Not "Subordinate" Judges, Treat Them With Equality : CJI DY Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India Dr.Justice DY Chandrachud on Monday spoke about the need to change the feeling of "subordination" among the district judges. He added that the judges of the higher courts should change their mindset in seeing the district judiciary as "subordinate" judiciary.

Speaking at a felicitation function organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association, CJI Chandrachud said :

"I think we have fostered a culture of subordination. We call our district judiciary as subordinate judiciary. I make a conscious effort not to call district judges as subordinate judges. Because they are not subordinates. They belong to district judiciary".

The Chief Justice said that it is a convention in many places that the district judges will stand when the High Court judges are having their lunch or dinner. Sometimes, the district judges try to serve food for the High Court judges.  CJI Chandrachud said that whenever he visited district courts, he insisted that he won't have food, unless the district judges also share the table with him.

He added that many a times, when district judges won't dare to sit in front of High Court judges when they are called for meetings. There are also instances when the Chief Justice travels and crosses districts, judicial officers would stand in a row at the boundaries of the districts. Such instances "speak of our colonial mindset", the CJI said.

"All of this has to change. We have to move towards a more modern judiciary; an equal judiciary", the CJI said.

"Great deal has to be done not only to improve the infrastructure of our district judiciary. But we also have to change our mindsets as to how superior court judges look at our own district judiciary, how we perceive of them...Until we realise that District Judiciary is the core, the cornerstone of the judicial system, nothing is going to change. We have to inculcate the sense of self-worth in the District judiciary", he said.

The CJI added that a young IAS does not look at a senior with a sense of inferiority and the interaction is with a sense of equality. 

However, the CJI added that there is a generational shift in the judiciary, with more and more youngsters joining it. He recalled that whenever trial judges of older generation used to interact with him, they used to add "haanji sir" at every second sentence. However, the younger officials interact on a footing of equality.

"Younger officers speak with a sense of equality. That shows where India is going. The young are educated, bright, confident, aspirational and have sense of self worth", CJI added. He also noted that more women are joining the judiciary and the "generational and demographic shift" will improve the system.

"If we have to change, we have to change the face of the district judiciary first and foremost", he said.