600 lawyers write to CJI on attempts to influence judiciary by 'special interest group'
New Delhi: Over 600 lawyers in India, including senior advocates Harish Salve and Pinky Anand, have expressed concerns regarding efforts by a "special interest group" to exert influence on the judiciary, media reports said.
In a letter addressed to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, these lawyers have raised concerns about alleged pressure tactics employed by this group to influence judicial decisions, especially in matters related to political figures and accusations of corruption.
"These actions pose a significant threat to the democratic fabric and the trust placed in judicial processes," the lawyers further said in the letter under the subject head "Threat to judiciary".
#WATCH | On prominent lawyers' letter to the CJI, Bar Council of India Chairman, senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra says, "...We have told the Chief Justice of India that the manner in which the election season has been chosen by a few lawyers and attempts are being made to… pic.twitter.com/0PbdMDZMnp
— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2024
The lawyers alleged that the "interest group" was circulating incorrect narratives about a so-called "golden era" of the judiciary in an attempt to discredit the ongoing proceedings and undermining public faith in the legal system.
More than 500 prominent lawyers, including Harish Salve, write to CJI DY Chandradchud expressing concern over attempts to undermine the judiciary’s integrity.
— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2024
The letter reads "as people who work to uphold the law, we think it's time to stand up for our courts. We need to come… pic.twitter.com/iXIIDbgToP
The lawyers underscored that certain strategies employed by the group entail selectively disparaging or praising court rulings according to their political agenda, characterising it as a "my way or the highway" approach.
"It's troubling to see some lawyers defend politicians by the day, and then try to influence judges through the media at night," the letter to the CJI said.
The letter emphasised that the group was propagating an entire theory of "bench fixing" and voiced concerns regarding "political flip-flopping."
"It is strange to see politicians accuse someone of corruption and then defend them in court. If the court's decision doesn't go their way, they quickly criticise the courts inside the court as well as through the media," the lawyers said.
Emphasizing that these events occurred just before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the consortium of lawyers accused certain elements of attempting to sway judges and disseminating falsehoods on social media to coerce them into ruling in a specific manner in their respective cases.
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