'Judiciary has fallen short at times': Chief Justice NV Ramana in his farewell address

Outgoing Chief Justice of India NV Ramana in his farewell address to the Supreme Court Bar Association said that the appointment of 11 Supreme Court and 224 high court judges, besides recommending names of more women for the judgeship during his tenure, was a reflection of “the coherence and determination” of judges to strengthen the judiciary to further the goal of justice.

Chief Justice Ramana said although the judiciary has fallen short of people's expectations at times, it has championed the cause of the people most of the times. He added that the judiciary is not defined by a single order or decision...”

Justice Ramana, the 48th CJI who had succeeded S A Bobde on April 24, 2021, was delivering his address at a function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to bid him adieu on completion of his over 16-month-long tenure as head of the judiciary.

Justice Ramana, who served as a judge for over two decades in the higher judiciary, expressed satisfaction over his journey and said that he never claimed himself to be “a scholarly judge or a great judge”, but always believed that the ultimate purpose of the justice delivery system is to provide justice to the common man.

On his retirement day, the CJI hinted toward the malicious campaign aimed at him and his family also just before his elevation to the top post.

“From the date, I joined the bench till I reached the highest possible position in the judiciary, I was subjected to conspiratorial scrutiny. My family and I suffered in silence. But ultimately, the truth will always prevail. ‘Satyameva Jayate’,” he said.

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The CJI referred to the packed auditorium and the good words spoken about him by CJI-designate Justice U U Lalit, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and SCBA president Vikas Singh and other Bar leaders and said that he was searching for words to adequately express his gratitude.

On the issue of the Indianisation of the legal system, he said the judicial system, practices, rules, being colonial in origin, may not be best suited to the needs of the Indian population.

“I mean the need to adapt to the practical realities of our society and localise our justice delivery system. I have pushed for the modernisation of judicial infrastructure as a means for providing access to justice,” he said.

He said the problems faced by the judiciary cannot be looked at in isolation.

“The judiciary is independent when it comes to adjudication of cases, but with respect to finances or appointments, it is still dependent on the Government. To coordinate and get cooperation from the Government, interaction is inevitable. But interaction does not mean influence. I hope this dialogue between the judiciary and the public will continue,” he said.

He told the audience about the idea behind his weekend travels to the courts across the country and said, “I felt it was my Constitutional duty to dispel these notions and bring the Court closer to the people, by way of generating awareness and building confidence among people about the judiciary.”

The popular perception is that the Indian judiciary was “alien and quite distant” to the general public and there are still millions with suppressed judicial needs who are apprehensive to approach the judiciary in times of need, he said.