Lawyers express concerns to CJI about group attempting to influence judiciary

New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) A group of senior lawyers, led by Harish Salve and including Manan Kumar Mishra, have expressed concerns about mounting political and professional pressure aiming to undermine judicial integrity, in a letter to CJI DY Chandrachud. The group accuses an interest group of influencing judicial outcomes for political gain.

The lawyers, without naming anyone, claim that the group uses pressure tactics to sway court decisions, especially in cases involving political figures. They criticize the creation of false narratives about the judiciary’s past and present to manipulate judges and damage the public’s trust in the judiciary. The group of lawyers is alarmed by attempts to influence judge selection and spread lies on social media to pressure judges.

According to the letter titled ‘Judiciary Under Threat-Safeguarding Judiciary from Political and Professional Pressure’, around 600 lawyers, including prominent figures like Adish Aggarwala, Pinky Anand, and Hitesh Jain, are behind the initiative. The timing of the group’s tactics, as the nation approaches the Lok Sabha elections, is likened to similar activities in 2018-2019 that involved fabricating narratives.

The group of lawyers accused the interest group of comparing Indian courts to those of nations lacking rule of law and engaging in attacks meant to damage public trust in the judiciary. The lawyers stress the need to safeguard the judiciary from external pressure and to uphold legal principles in the face of mounting challenges. The allegations come at a time when courts are handling high-profile corruption cases involving politicians, raising concerns about judicial independence and integrity.