Lawyers have written to Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud to convey their deep concern over the actions of a “vested interest group.” They believe that with baseless accusations and out-of-date political ambitions, this group is attempting to subjugate the judiciary, corrupt the legal system, and damage the reputation of the courts.
The letter claims that the group’s activities are tainting the environment of cooperation and trust that is essential to the judiciary’s functioning. Their use of pressure is most noticeable in political cases, especially when political people are accused of wrongdoing. The letter argues that such strategies are dangerous for democracy and harmful to the courts.
Approximately 600 lawyers have signed the letter, which claims that this heated interest organization uses a variety of tactics. In a deliberate attempt to influence court judgments for political gain, they create false narratives of a supposedly ‘better past’ and ‘golden period’ of the courts and contrast them with the present.
The signatories, numbering around 600, claimed that “this heated interest group operates in various ways. They create false narratives of a supposed ‘better past’ and ‘golden period’ of the courts, contrasting it with the happenings in the present. These are nothing but intentional statements, made to sway court decisions and to embarrass the courts for certain political gains”.
Emphasizing that “it’s troubling to see some lawyers defend politicians by the day, and then try to influence judges through the media at night”, the letter read that “implying that the courts in the past were easier to influence shakes the public’s trust in them”.
The letter added that the group “have also concocted an entire theory of ‘bench fixing’ – which is not just disrespectful and contemptuous” but “an attack on the honour and dignity of our courts” and “at times, it also leads to slanderous attacks and insinuations on respected judges”.
The lawyers said that the members of the “vested interest group…have also stooped to the level of comparing our courts to those countries where there is no rule of law and accusing our judicial institutions of unfair practices. These aren’t just criticisms; they are direct attacks meant to damage the public’s trust in our judiciary and threaten the fair application of our laws”.
“It is strange to see politicians accuse someone of corruption and then defend them in court. If the court’s decision doesn’t go their way, they quickly criticise the courts inside the court as well as through media. This two-faced behaviour is harmful to the respect a common man should have for our legal system,” the lawyers alleged.
“There is a clear ‘My way or the highway’ approach at work – any decision they agree with is hailed but any decision they disagree with is trashed, smeared and disregarded,” the letter added.
Questioning the timing, the signatories said “the timing of their modus operandi also merits closer scrutiny—they do it at very strategic timings, when the nation is all set to head into elections” and added, “We are reminded of similar antics in 2018–2019 when they took to their ‘hit and run’ activities, including fabricating the wrong narrative”.
These efforts to belittle and manipulate the courts for personal and political reasons cannot be allowed under any circumstances,” the lawyers said, and they urged the Supreme Court “to stand strong and take steps to protect our courts from these attacks”.
“Staying silent or doing nothing could accidentally give more power to those who mean to do harm. This is not the time to maintain dignified silence, as such efforts are happening for a few years and too frequently,” they said, adding that the CJI’s leadership is crucial in these “tough times.”.
