Over 600 lawyers write to CJI over 'vested interest group' trying to defame courts; condemn remarks like 'bench fixing'

More than 600 lawyers addressed a letter to the Chief Justice of India, expressing concerns over "a vested interest group trying to pressure the judiciary, influence judicial process and defame courts on the basis of frivolous logic and stale political agendas".
It also expresses discontent of these groups formulating theories like that of 'bench fixing'.

The lawyers have said that this is not just disrespectful and contemptuous it's an attack on the honour and dignity of the courts.

The letter, dated March 26, has been signed by prominent lawyers like Harish Salve, Manan kumar Mishra, Adish agarwala, Chetan Mittal, Pinky Anand, Hitesh Jain, Ujjwala Pawar, Uday Holla and Swaroopama Chaturvedi.

Amid the ongoing hearings of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest and expressing concern over attempts to undermine the judiciary’s integrity, the letter to D Y Chandrachud also stated that the interest group's antics are vitiating the atmosphere of trust and harmony, which characterises the functioning of the judiciary.

"Their pressure tactics are most obvious in political cases, particularly those involving political figures accused of corruption. These tactics are damaging to our courts and threaten our democratic fabric," the letter further read.

While the interest group's identity remains unclear, the signatories have hinted at certain lawyers involved in undermining the judiciary.

"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 court's for certain political gains. It's troubling to see some lawyers defend politicians by the day, and then try to influence judges through the media at night," they said in the letter.

Remarks like these, according to the lawyers, at times also leads to slanderous attacks and insinuations on respected judges.

"They 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 with 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," they said.

The top legal minds have also stated that there is a "My way or the highway" approach by these groups.

"...Any decision they agree with is hailed but any decision they disagree with is trashed, smeared and disregarded. This cherry picking has been visible in very recent judgments too," they said.

Finally, the letter also urges the top court to take steps against efforts to belittle and manipulate the courts for personal and political reasons. "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 since few years and too frequently."