Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud on November 19, 2022 urged “harmony, balance, tranquility and balance” even as reported Supreme Court Collegium recommendations to switch High Court judges sparked protests and strike by legal professionals in Telangana and Gujarat.

Gujarat High Court advocates have declared an indefinite strike in opposition to the Supreme Court Collegium’s proposed switch of Justice Nikhil Kariel.

Telangana High Court lawyers have held protests and boycotted hearings in opposition to the Collegium’s proposed switch of Justice A. Abhishek Reddy.

Both Justices Kariel and Reddy have reportedly been beneficial by the Collegium for switch to the Patna High Court.

Lawyers in the Madras High Court have additionally made their displeasure clear on the proposed switch of Acting Chief Justice T. Raja to Rajasthan.

All three proposed transfers had been beneficial within the first Collegium assembly held on November 16 after Chief Justice Chandrachud took over as prime decide. The Collegium has not printed its decision.

Chief Justice Chandrachud, quoting B.R. Ambedkar on Saturday, stated “ satyagraha” or “strike” was an “instrument when we were under colonial rule… now we are making the migration to Home Rule. We are ruling ourselves”.

“Strike, which was very relevant to the time of the colonial rule must give way to cooperation, stability, tranquility and balance,” Chief Justice Chandrachud stated pointedly throughout a felicitation hosted for him by the Bar Council of India.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who spoke on the operate, took an unfavourable view of the legal professionals’ protests, saying “when you become too loud about putting forward your demands, it has the risk of taking a different turn”.

“When I saw lawyers go for protest and I could see in the days to come these are some things which we may see more frequently. We have to think and we have to decide whether this will be good for the institution or not. Everybody talks about strengthening the institution, if we don’t respect the institution, it will amount to disrespecting yourselves,” the Minister stated.

The CJI stated that when legal professionals strike work, customers endure. He stated “administrative decisions” within the Supreme Court are taken protecting in thoughts the nationwide perspective. Chief Justice Chandrachud referred to how there are “two shades in an issue”. He stated these in authority may be questioned however they need to even be trusted to work for the welfare of the establishment.

A delegation of legal professionals from Gujarat are reported to be assembly Chief Justice Chandrachud and the opposite Collegium judges on Monday on the problem of Justice Kariel’s switch.

Gujarat High Court legal professionals have acknowledged that the switch of Justice Kariel would imply the “death of the independence of the judiciary”. The State High Court Advocates Association has handed a decision, describing Justice Kariel because the “finest, upright, honest and unbiased” decide.

On Saturday, the CJI stated “sometimes, we have to make tough decisions”.

“If we do not take these decisions, it will be so easy to say ‘I’ll have a nice time until the Constitution tells me to retire’… Well, if we all did that, how will the country be a better place in the years to come?” CJI Chandrachud requested.