Judiciary needs to look inward to fix lacunae

The peacock is in tears while the nation is in splits. Former Rajasthan High Court judge, Mahesh Chandra Sharma, on the last day of his tenure has stripped the national bird off his mating rights.

The dazzling plume, the shrill cries and all that swagger has come to naught in a single stroke of judgement. Justice Sharma, clearly, was looking for his 15 minutes of fame. Justice CS Karnan of the Calcutta High Court too got his fair share of headlines when he took on the Supreme Court and went public with his defiance of the apex court’s orders.

His braggadocio can even attract a jail term. These loose cannons have in their own ways enlivened the dull days in the lives of ordinary citizens. Entertainment aside, the issue at hand requires a more nuanced understanding. Their irresponsible conduct has led many to bolster their demand that the collegium system must be done away with since the choice of judges hardly inspire confidence.

Well, that’s again extreme posturing, given that no system is perfect, not even the three-tier UPSC screening. But it would do well for the judiciary to look inward and rectify the lacunae in the system to restore people’s confidence in the court of law.

The Constitution has provided adequate checks and balance in the system where the judiciary too is expected to play its part. However, the respect it commands is often diluted when mindless pronouncements take centre stage.