Judicial independence

Nomination of former CJI to Rajya Sabha a grave blow

The three branches of government, in any functional democracy, must always be kept separate from one another. The judiciary, in particular, has an enormously important role. It is, in a parliamentary democracy, the only real check on majoritarian instincts of any sort. It must not only remain independent, but be seen to remain independent — or else faith in the structures of governance, and therefore in the Republic itself, will collapse. It is against this high bar that the decision to send former chief justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha must be evaluated. While Justice Gogoi, given