The debate between raising the retirement age of judges of the higher judiciary, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobade, said on Thursday that if they extend their lifespan, they are “ready to work”.
Justice Bobde, who was sworn in as the 47th CJI on 18 November, was responding to the suggestion of Attorney General KK Venugopal on the issue and not as the country’s top law officer, as a member of the bar.
Addressing the gathering at the CJI’s honor ceremony, Venugopal said that the lawyers who were in the 70s and 80s are emphasizing their cases in the courts and likewise, retired the Supreme Court and judges for 68 years Age can be increased up to 70 years. high Court.
At present, the apex court judges the demat office at the age of 65, while the High Court commits contempt after reaching 62.
“I said whatever the Great Attorney General has said about the tenure of the judges. He was addressing as a member of the bar and I can say as a member of the bar, please tell this to your client. We are ready to work, ”said Justice Bobde.
The ceremony was organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).
Venugopal, who twice clarified that he was not as the Attorney General of India but as a member of the bar, stating that the present age of retirement of judges in the higher judiciary is “grossly inadequate”.
Justice Bobde also expressed concern about the general public and their ability to access free and affordable advocacy in view of the fact that lawyers charge professional fees and asked them to consider the issue.
“Our judiciary is one that is independent and has been vigorously guarded on many occasions by both the bar and the bench. Also, it is equally important for all of us to uphold not only the judiciary but also the independence and integrity of the bar.
“At every juncture, I can say with a sense of pride that, both in the past and the present, the judiciary has become a catalyst for meaningful and socio-eco-political change in the process,” the CJI said.
Justice Bobde also covered the area of concerns for the judiciary, including cases, infrastructure, and pendency of vacancies, and said that over the years, “through concerted and coordinated efforts we have taken significant steps in addressing existing concerns Has made progress “.
He said that the use of information technology should focus on providing more efficient and cost-effective use and delivery of justice.
“This should also include conducting serious studies related to the future of artificial intelligence in law, particularly how artificial intelligence can help in judicial decision-making. I believe that the discovery of this interface would be highly beneficial for several reasons, “they said.
The CJI stated that several countries, including the US, the Netherlands, and Estonia, have integrated artificial intelligence into the justice administration system.
“Therefore, identifying such cases in India and developing relevant technology should be our next focus,” he said.
He assured bar leaders including SCBA President Rakesh Khanna and Venugopal that a committee of judges of the top court would deal with their concerns regarding the lack of chambers for lawyers.
Venugopal in his address advocated a minimum tenure of three years for the CJI so that the reform process initiated by the head of the judiciary was disrupted during his tenure.
He said that the apex court collegium has a greater role in ensuring that he should take into account the tenure and seniority at the time of appointment of the judge so that he gets a minimum of three years tenure as CJI.
Both the SCBA President and Venugopal raised the issue of the need for more rooms for lawyers, mentioning the space in corridors and courtrooms and cases where lawyers are pushed around.
