CJI lauds judiciary’s direct connect with people

CJI Sanjiv Khanna emphasizes direct connection with people in Indian judiciary; Justice Oka raises concerns about faith in system.

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Wednesday (March 26, 2025) said the Indian judiciary is unique owing to its direct connect with the people.

“What makes the judiciary unique is our direct connect with the people… The most easy access which the people have is the access to the judiciary in any of the three institutions [Legislature, Executive and Judiciary],” the CJI said at an event organised by the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association to celebrate 75 years of the Constitution.

However, senior Supreme Court judge, Justice A.S. Oka, speaking earlier at the same event, said the oft-repeated claim that the common man has full faith in the judiciary may not be substantially correct.

Justice Oka asked whether this claim could be seriously made when there were 4.55 crore cases pending in the district courts, of which 25-30% were pending for over a decade.

“Can we still believe that the common man has faith in this institution… We must acknowledge our flaws and the deficiencies in our system,” Justice Oka said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, also speaking on the occasion, highlighted the need to re-Indianise jurisprudence and build a law uniquely suited to Indian conditions, character, temperament and social ethos rather than look abroad to find solutions to problems here.

Mr. Mehta said the sights of law should be trained to leading lights closer home. They have not been given their due. He said the full breadth of Indian legal heritage should be applied in the practice of law.