OPINIONCOMMENT

Published:October19,201501:07IST|Updated:October19,201514:51IST
October19,2015

Thecitizenandthepoliticsoftheverdict

K.Venkataramanan

Thereisasinkingfeelingthatthereisnoroleforthepeopleinthisclashbetweenthepoliticalclassandajudicialhierarchy.Whowillspeak
truthtojudicialpower?
Theprimacyofthejudiciaryinmakingjudicialappointmentshasbeenreassertedjudicialindependencehasbeensafeguardedandthe
politicalexecutivesattempttolegislateintobeinganewsystemtoconstitutethesuperiorjudiciaryhasbeenscuppered.Thisishowjudges,
advocates,andthepoliticalclasswillunderstandthelandmarkdecisionofafivejudgeBenchoftheSupremeCourtinvalidatingthe
ConstitutionamendmentandthelawseekingtoestablishaNationalJudicialAppointmentsCommission.Isthatallthereistoit?Inits
implication,itismayseemlikejustanothermassoflegalverbiage,citinglaw,precedentandjurisprudencetosayindifferentwordswhathas
beenenunciatedinfourjudgmentsSamsherSingh(1974),SankalchandHimatlalSheth(1977),theSecondJudgescase(1993)andthe
ThirdJudgescase(1998)oftheSupremeCourtApexCourt.
Thecurrentdiscourseismostlikelytobeseenbytheaveragecitizenaconcernedandknowledgeableone,asdistinctfromanapatheticor
cynicallaymanasamomentousindicationofavexingconflictbetweenparliamentarysovereigntyandjudicialprimacy.Itgendersinthe
citizenafearthatwhatisatplayisanirreconcilablesetofbinariesintheexerciseofstatepower.Thebewilderingtruthbehindthe
governmentsmovetoputinplaceanewsystemofjudicialappointmentstoundotheinadequaciesofthepresentcollegiumsystemisthat
boththeUnionofIndiaandtheSupremeCourtarerightthatboththemajorityandthelonedissentingjudgespeakwordsthatringtrue.
Thisunderstandingflowsfromtheintenselypoliticalnatureofthediscourse,forthisisnotamereacademicdebateonthe
idealappointmentsprocess.Anoutstandingfeatureoftheseparateopinionsinthiscaseisthattheyareovertlypolitical,self
consciouslycandid,andunflinchingwhenitcomestospeakingaboutthepoliticalrealitiesofthejudiciaryexecutiveinterplay
inIndia.Onthepoliticalexecutive,JusticeJagdishSinghKheharisclearthatasystemofspoilsofofficehasbeeninplace,
underboththeUPAandNDAregimes.Beginningwithgovernorsandheadsofvariousinstitutions,politicalfavouritesare
appointedwithoutshameorreticence.Onthejudiciary,althoughnoneisnamed,thereistacitacceptancethatwhenever
judicialmisdemeanourisreferredto,itisdonewiththeknowledgeofwhoisbeingtalkedabout.Judgesappointedwithout
merit,ChiefJusticesviolatingtheappointmentsprocedure,thepassingofquestionableordersandplaininstancesoffavouringparties,
includingconvictedfilmstarsandpoliticians,aremerrilyreferredto,thoughthereisnoaspersionsoughttobecastonthejudicialdecisions
concerned.
Citizendisempowered
Forthecitizen,alreadyinuredtotherealitythatpoliticscastsashadowonallwalksoflife,thisacknowledgementofthefallibilityofjudges,
especiallyfindingexpressioninJusticeJ.Chelameswarsadmirableintrospectiononbehalfofhisfraternity,islikelytoaggravatethesenseof
beingdisempoweredinthelargerschemeofthings.Basicrights,alreadyseenasbeinggivenordeniedbypowerwieldingstate
representativesbasedoncaste,communalandgenderconsiderations,rightsthatflowfromthecharityandsufferanceofpolitical
representatives,havenowbeenshownalsotoberightsthattheycannotalwaysexpecttobedefendedorupheldbycourts,mannedby
possiblycompromisedjudges.Thecitizenseemstobeafrailpersonsurroundedbybullies,andifsheisunharmed,sheonlyhasprovidence
andgoodfortunetothank.
Whatdoesthecitizendowhenjudgessaythatthepresentsystemhasnotalwaysbeenfairandimprovementsarenecessary?Howdoesone
reacttothemostfarreachinglegislativeefforttoundosuchasystem,collapsingunderjudicialscrutiny,forthesolereasonthatthepolitical
executivecraftedalawthatfailedtosecurejudicialindependence?Theexecutivesaysthejudiciaryisselfservinginarrogatingtoitselfthe
entireappointmentsprocess.Thejudgessaytheyarefarlessthanperfect,buttheremedyisnotinplacingtheirfateinthehandsof
untrustworthypoliticians.JusticeKheharsayscivilsocietyisnotcurrentlystrongenoughtoactasarestraintontheexecutivemisusingits
appointingpower.Thereisasinkingfeelingthatthereisnoroleforthepeopleinthisclashoftitansbetweenthepoliticalclasswhose
corruptionisobviousbutcannotbebroughtdownexceptwiththehelpofthejudicialbranchandajudicialhierarchythatnocitizenwill

daretoquestion.
Istakingsideswitheitherthejudiciaryorthegovernmenttheonlyoption?Istheresomethingmorethatcanbedone?Someonehastosay
thatbeitlegislativeorjudicialwork,acavalierapproachbasedonanimaginedsenseoftherightnessoftheirowncaseisnotenough.Wider
consultationsarenecessary.Thegovernmentoughttohavespokentomanysectionsofsocietytoproposeasystemthatwillnotmerelyseek
totiltthebalanceinfavouroftheexecutive.Thecourt,too,shouldhavetriedtoreaddowntheprovisions,possiblybylimitingtheroleofthe
eminentpersonsontheNJACorlayingdowncautionaryprinciplesforitsfunctioninginsteadofquashingitwholesale.Theproposed
hearingonwaystoimprovethefunctioningofthecollegiumsystemmayindeedbeawayout.However,itisnotasgoodaseffective
legislation.Itwillstillbejudgemadelaw.Theverycandourthatmostimpressesusinthepresentjudgmentmayworkagainsttheuniversal
acceptabilityofthefinaloutcome.But,whowillspeakthistruthtojudicialpower?
venkataramanan.k@thehindu.co.in

TOWARDSANINDEPENDENTJUDICIARY

JudgingtheJudgemaker
Thefourjudgmentsofthemajorityhavereassertedjudicialindependence,
withitsconcomitantautonomyinappointments,asanintegralpartofthe
Constitutionsbasicstructure.

Readmore

Perilsofthemessiahcomplex
Thejudgmentisfoundedonamistrustofgovernment,lackofrespectforthe
peopleandunquestionedfaithinthecompetenceofjudges

ReadMore

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