Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai on Wednesday said the bar and the bench were equal stakeholders in the administration of justice.
Speaking during his felicitation function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), CJI Gavai said the bar and the bench were like two wheels of the golden chariot of justice administration. If one wheel failed, the entire chariot would come to a standstill.
He said on May 16, in the very first meeting after taking up the highest judicial position of the country, he agreed to many requests made by the bar. All his colleagues were on the same page regarding the issues concerning the bar, he revealed.
Calling the Chief Justice of India was only the first among equals, CJI Gavai said he believed in democratic functioning. The Supreme Court should never be a CJI-centric court. It should be a court of all judges and members of the Court. He did not take any decisions himself, instead they were taken by the Full Court.
Regarding the demands of the bar, the CJI said he would not promise anything, but would consider them in a positive manner. He shared that he had entrusted the job to his colleagues – Justice PS Narasimha and Justice AS Chandurkar. They have already granted an audience to SCBA members. As soon as the judges submitted their report, it would be placed before the Full Court. The CJI said he hoped he would have something to say about it on his retiring day, November 21.
While planning the construction of the new building, the CJI said he, along with Justice Surya Kant and the then Justice Sanjiv Khanna, took the bar into consultation. The new building was providing facilities for lawyers and litigants alike, including the differently-abled persons.
Regarding the issue of allotment of chambers, which was pending for almost five years, the CJI said it took them only 2-3 meetings to come to a logical conclusion.
When he was in court 46 at the Bombay High Court, the CJI said he saw no reason to deny the members of the bar access to the auditoriums at Aurangabad and Nagpur. The auditoriums were offered to the bar without any charges.
Similarly, the bar was denied access to the auditorium. He recalled that when Justice Indu Malhotra was given a farewell, the pandal started filling with water. The Chief Guest had to be given an umbrella so that she didn’t get wet. He expressed his gratitude to the then CJI for agreeing to their suggestion and making auditorium available to the bar.