There is unacceptably low representation of traditionally weaker sections such as OBCs, SCs and STs especially in the higher judiciary
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday expressed his concern over the low participation of women, OBCs and SC/STs in the judiciary, and said that the judiciary should take remedial measures to stop that.
"There is unacceptably low representation of traditionally weaker sections such as OBCs, SCs and STs especially in the higher judiciary," the President said while speaking at the inaugural function of a two-day conference jointly organised by the Law Commission of India and NITI Aayog to commemorate National Law Day. Chief Justice Dipak Mishra, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad were also present at the event.
"Like our other public institutions, our judiciary too has to be judicious in being representative of the diversity of our country, and the depth and breadth of our society. Of the 17,000 judges in our subordinate courts, High Courts and Supreme Court, only about 4,700, roughly one in four, are women," Kovind said. He further said that the only way to unclog the higher courts is to place greater trust in the lower courts and their judgments.
Minister of State for law and justice PP Chaudhary said, "Judicial activism by itself is a necessary outcome of judicial independence, and may be lauded, especially when it is undertaken to protect those who may not otherwise have ready access to justice. But quite apart from this, is another species of judicial activism where the judiciary is also stepping into areas that are, strictly speaking, in the realm of policy."
However, the CJI took an opposing view to this and said that it is the duty of the judiciary to help those in need. "There is a perception that there is a judicial activism... I must clarify protection of fundamental rights of each and every citizen is the sacrosanct duty of the judiciary that has been conferred on by the Constitution. Fundamental rights have been expended from the date the Constitution came into existence," he said.
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