Need to change the face of district judiciary 'first and foremost': CJI

Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud says there is a need to change the face of the district judiciary

Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud on Monday said that there is a need to change the face of the district judiciary.

Unless we in superior courts, be it HC or SC, realize that the district judiciary is a cornerstone of the judicial system nothing will change, added Chandrachud.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion of his felicitation ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, Chandrachud said, "We've to change the face of the district judiciary first and foremost. We've fostered a culture of subordination. We call our district judiciary a subordinate judiciary. I make a conscious effort not to call district judges subordinate judges."

"District judges aren't subordinates, they belong to the district judiciary. We also have to change our mindsets as to how superior court judges look at the district judiciary," he added while pointing towards the poor infrastructure of the district courts.

"We have to ensure that we move towards a modern and equal judiciary. Unless we in superior courts, be it HC or SC, realize that the district judiciary is a cornerstone of the judicial system nothing will change. We've to inculcate a sense of self-worth in the district judiciary," he stated.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday stressed making the process of "listing" matters transparent and objective and employing technology to eliminate the element of human interface in the listing process.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion of his felicitation ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, Justice DY Chandrachud appreciated his predecessor CJI UU Lalit for taking concrete steps towards making a listing of matters more transparent.

CJI Lalit said, "We have to make listings transparent, and objective and employ technology in order to eliminate the element of human interface in the listing process."

CJI Chandrachud said adding that they are trying to prepare SOPs.

"I have laid a great amount of stress on technology it is not because I have an interest in technology, but because I believe that technology can be a course of inclusion. But we have to also ensure that technology does not become a source of exclusion," CJI said as he noted that many lawyers do not have access to computers or the internet.

He said that one of his mission is to ensure that technology should reach out to the members of the Bar, who don't have access to it.

He also spoke on the problem related to various judicial vacancies in different levels of the judiciary in the country.

During his address, Justice Chandrachud said that he believed that Chief Justice is first among equals and believed that first and foremost, CJI is a judge and has to fulfil the first purpose of a judge.