Justice loses its character when it becomes revenge, Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said a day after four men, who the Hyderabad police said had raped and murdered the 26-year-old veterinarian, were gunned down in an early morning encounter.
At the inauguration of the new building of the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur by President Ram Nath Kovind today, Chief Justice Bobde conceded that the criminal justice system needs to reconsider its attitudes towards time taken to dispose of a matter, but stressed that “justice can never be instant and should not take the form of revenge”.
“Justice is never ought to be instant. Justice must never ever take the form of revenge. I believe justice loses its character when it becomes revenge. There is a need in the judiciary to invoke self-correcting measures but whether or not they should be publicised is a matter of debate,” Chief Justice Bobde said.
The Chief Justice said that there is a need to devise methods to not only speed up litigation but also prevent it.
He stressed that as an institution, the judiciary must remain committed to making justice accessible to people by strengthening the existing avenues and evolving newer means to achieve an affordable, quick and satisfactory settlement of disputes.
At the same time, we must be aware of the changes and perception about the judiciary, the CJI said.
Talking about the new building, the CJI said that improvement in existing infrastructural facilities go a long way in strengthening and enhancing the justice delivery system.
“Access to justice is one of the most fundamental tenets of the Constitution, therefore, to ensure that such access is not diminished, adequate infrastructure needs to be provided to the courts. I congratulate the Rajasthan High Court for this magnificent building with all the state-of-the-art facilities, which will make this court one of the best in the country,” he said.