Every institution can be improved, but it doesn't mean it is fundamentally flawed: CJI
Mumbai (PTI): Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has said every institution can be improved, but it should not lead to a conclusion that there is something fundamentally wrong with it.
He was talking about the collegium system on Saturday during an interaction after delivering the inaugural lecture in a series organised by the Marathi daily `Loksatta' here.
To a question on the collegium system of appointment of Supreme Court and High Court judges, the CJI said it is a federal system where the responsibility has been given to different levels of governments (both the Centre and the states) and the judiciary.
"It is a process of consultative dialogue, where consensus emerges, but at times there is no consensus, but that's part of the system. We must have the maturity to understand that this represents the strength of our system," Chandrachud said.
"I wish, we will be able to foster a greater consensus, but the point of the matter is, this is dealt with a very great level of maturity on the parts of different levels within the judiciary and different levels within the governments," he added.
If there is an objection about a particular candidate, discussions take place with a "very great deal of maturity", the chief justice noted.
"We have to understand that it is very easy to criticise the institution that we have formed....every institution is capable of betterment. But the very fact that there are institutional improvements, which are possible, should not lead us to a conclusion that there is something fundamentally wrong with the institution," he said.
"The fact that these institutions have stood the test of time for over the last 75 years is a reason for us to trust our system of democratic governance of which judiciary is well a part," he added.
To another question, the chief justice said unlike in other fields, the work burden of a judge increases both in terms of volume and complexity as he or she rises in the judiciary.
"Our judges are not galivanting or goofing up even in the vacation, they are deeply committed to the work they do," he said.
The orders they pass will define the country in next decades, but judges hardly get time to think or read about law (aside from their work), the chief justice said.
"....do we give our judges sufficient time to think or read about the law or do you just want them to be merely a mechanical machine in the disposal of cases," he asked.
Despite its drawbacks, the emergence of social media is good for society, CJI Chandrachud said.
"The whole universe of judging, I believe, has undergone changes due to social media. Judges have to be very careful about what they say, use appropriate language," he said.
"I still feel that the advent of social media is good for society, as it enables the user to reach a huge section of society," he remarked.
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PWD, Google Maps officials booked in Bareilly bridge death case
Budaun (UP), Nov 25: Police here have booked officials of the Public Works Department and Google Maps in connection with the death of three men whose car rolled over an under-construction bridge while following directions on the navigation app, an officer on Monday said.
The car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge in Dataganj Police Station area early Sunday.
Nitin and Ajit, aged 30, both brothers from Farrukhabad district, and Amit, 40, from Mainpuri district, were on their way from Noida to Faridpur in Bareilly to attend a wedding.
According to police, the driver was led by Google Maps into taking the unsafe route.
The incident took place on the Bareilly-Budaun border.
Dataganj Police Station SHO Gaurav Bishnoi said an FIR on charges of laxity in duty and others was filed against four engineers of the PWD, along with some unknown people.
The regional officer of Google Map has also been brought under the scope of investigation. His name is yet to be included in the FIR.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Google in a statement said, "Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. We're working closely with the authorities and providing our support to investigate the issue."
On Sunday, Faridpur Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said, "Earlier this year, floods caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse onto the river, but this change had not been updated in the system."
He said the bridge had no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach.
