In this age of social media, judges are increasingly becoming subjects of juicy gossip and slanderous posts, Supreme Court judge NV Ramana said on Saturday.
Justice Ramana, who is in line to become the Chief Justice of India after the incumbent SA Bobde retires in April next year, was delivering an address at the virtual launch of a book authored by retired judge R Banumathi.
“Judges are self-restrained from speaking out in their own defense. So they are now being construed as soft targets for criticism,” lamented Justice Ramana. He added, “This issue is further complicated by the proliferation of social media and technology. Judges are becoming subject to juicy gossip and slanderous social media posts.”
Justice Ramana took the opportunity to talk about the life of judges and the need for their personal independence at the launch of the book titled ‘Judiciary, Judges and the Administration of Justice’.
The senior judge was emphatic that “the life of a judge is not a bed of roses.” He said there is a misunderstanding that judges lead a life of luxury in their ivory towers. “From my own experience, I can state that the life of a judge is not a bed of roses. The reality is quite different from what people comprehend. Best judges of the same are the family members, who are usually torn between restraints and relationships,” said Justice Ramana.
He added that judges are required to balance their social life and have self-imposed restrictions in order to be independent. “It is completely upon the judge to maintain such self-imposed restrictions and the ways of doing this,” said Justice Ramana.
He quoted a statement made by Justice Aharon Barak, a former judge of the Supreme Court of Israel, who observed that a “crucial condition for judicial independence is the personal independence of the judge”.
Justice Ramana’s views found support in CJI SA Bobde, who said that judges are called upon to do the things that others tend to avoid.
The CJI, in an apparent reference to the recent spate of criticism of the highest echelons of the judiciary, maintained, “Freedom of speech of judges is curtailed by the same laws and machinery that uphold that freedom for others, who use it to criticise the judiciary and judges.”
He also emphasized on the need for judicial independence to go hand-in-hand with judicial accountability. “If the public is to give profound respect to the judges, the judges should maintain dignified conduct and aloofness,” he added.
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