Ex-CJI calls judges' presser 'disturbing' event

Former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur on Saturday called the unprecedented press conference by four senior most judges on January 12 as a "disturbing" event.

The presser gave the media and politicians an opportunity to discuss issues that “ought to be addressed and solved within the Supreme Court,” he said.

Four senior judges, Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph, had virtually raised a banner of revolt against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra by levelling a litany of allegations against him.

The judges had alleged that the situation in the top court was "not in order" and many "less than desirable" things had taken place which put "democracy in danger”.

Justice Thakur said, when judges wanted the nation to decide issues which they could and ought to decide themselves, anyone witnessing it would feel disturbed that the highest judiciary is helpless in tackling issues concerning their working and putting it in public domain.

'Must look within'

“An appeal to the nation is not what would have helped the judges. I firmly believe that judges need not look for outside help for resolving their institutional problems. Judges have to look within and not without for guidance,” Thakur said.

Justice Thakur was speaking on the 'Independence of Judiciary' at an event organised by an NGO, Global Jurists, founded by former Delhi High Court judge Kailash Gambhir.

Justice Chelameswar, who shared the dais with CJI Dipak Misra on Friday on his last working day, had earlier defended the press conference saying there was no bar on judges speaking in public.