The Brave Pedestrian

Our fundamental right to LIFE & LIBERTY takes a backseat to judges RIGHT TO ENJOY HOLIDAYS. Judges all over India are in holiday mood, giving dates for July when court will reopen after summer vacations starting next week. Supreme Court of India has holidays for six months in a year -- a world record. Lower courts work for eight months a year. Give thanks for small mercies  smile emoticon Like  ·  Comment  ·  Share

My main objective in running this poster campaign about judiciary is to tear the veil of silence surrounding the judiciary. I just want to throw open the judiciary to public scrutiny and debate, just like all other democratic institutions. My being right or wrong is irrelevant; I try to be right in what I say, but I am at best a journalist or cartoonist, NOT a legal expert. I’m provoking thought and discussion around various issues concerning the judiciary’s dealings with the public. BUT SOME PEOPLE FEEL THAT NOBODY SHOULD TALK ABOUT JUDICIARY. They feel that judges and lawyers must not be blamed or criticized for the nation’s ills. They feel that although we may criticize government, political parties, and individual politicians, we must never criticize anything concerning judiciary. Let us look at some of the ARGUMENTS of these people, who are self-appointed guardians of judiciary: ARGUMENT # 1: Criticism of "weaken the authority” or “erode the institution” of judiciary, ...

If pendency were under control and appellants got a fair hearing, Supreme Court's 6-week summer vacations could possibly have been justified. But such is emphatically not the case. Judges dismiss a majority of the appeals immediately, not even giving a few second to appellants -- many of whom have travelled across the country, and have suffered great financial difficulties to come this far. Many judges contemptuously THROW THE APPELLANT'S FILES on the floor after a couple of  seconds of perfunctory hearing, showing callous disregard for the litigants and the appeal process! Despite such hurried methods, the queue of pending cases before SC is growing longer every year. And the Supreme Court judges have the sheer gall to go on lengthy vacations, en masse! Like  ·  Comment  ·  Share

Does judiciary protect the common people of India? Can an ordinary man or woman seek remedies by walking into police station or a court? Are the procedures something that they can understand? Does the court mechanism facilitate people who are in difficulty? Is it sensitive to their needs and constraints? Are lawyers helpful and understanding? I think we all know the answer. Like  ·  Comment  ·  Share