Unelected judges have vital roles to play: CJI Chandrachud
New Delhi (PTI): Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has said judges, though not elected, have a very vital role to play because the judiciary has a "stabilising influence" in the evolution of societies which are rapidly changing with technology.
He was responding to the most common criticism that unelected judges should not venture into executive's domain. He made the observations while speaking in the 3rd Comparative Constitutional Law discussion co-hosted by the Georgetown University Law Center, Washington and the Society for Democratic Rights (SDR), New Delhi on the topic - 'Perspectives from the Supreme Courts of India and the United States'.
"I believe that judges have a very vital role to play though we are not elected. We don't go back to the people every five years to seek their votes. But, there's a reason for that... I do believe that the judiciary, in that sense, is a stabilising influence in the evolution of our societies, particularly in something like our age which is so rapidly changing with technology," the CJI said.
The judges are the voice of something which must subsist beyond "the vicissitudes of time" and the courts have the ability to provide stabilising influence in the societies.
"I do believe that we have a role to play in the overall stability of our own civilizations, our own cultures, particularly in the context of a plural society, such as India," he said.
As part of a cultural and social background, the CJI said that the courts have become focal points of engagement between civil society and the quest for social transformation.
"So, people approach the courts, not just for outcomes. Let's be very clear, people approach the courts also for a voice in the process of constitutional change...," he said.
This is a complex question and there are several reasons as to why people come to courts more often, he said.
"It is very important for courts... because we are as many institutions of governance... of course there is the principle of the separation of powers. We don't take upon ourselves the role of the legislature or we don't take upon ourselves the role of the executive," he said.
The courts are becoming places where people come in order to give vent to the expression for the society which they aspire to achieve, he said.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
