Social media criticism sometimes unfair but judges can handle it: CJI Chandrachud
In the Q&A session, CJI Chandrachud was also asked a question touching on the advent of social media criticism of courts.
“In our courts today, you have live tweeting by the minute. Every remark which is said by a judge is conveyed on social media. That is something which we cannot stop. Obviously, we are on the receiving end on occasion. Sometimes, the criticism is fair; sometimes the criticism isn’t fair. I do believe, as judges our shoulders are broad enough to accept the critique that people have on the work that we do,” he said, in response.
The judge remarked that “every citizen on social media is a journalist” and observed that he is sometimes surprised to find social media posts on comments that the court did not make.
However, he opined that such things are beyond one’s control and expressed hope that the good side of technology will prevail.
“Very often when I see comments about what we have not said in the social media, I say ‘we never said this!’ But is that within our control or are we living in a society that is so much beyond our control in terms of social media? But I always believe that the powers of the good prevails over the evil. Therefore, notwithstanding the flipsides of technology, notwithstanding the sometimes be unwarranted criticism of judges, technology allows us to reach out to people and explain to them of the seriousness with which we attend to problems of common citizens,” he said.
He went on to speak of how technology has helped widen public access to justice in India, whether it be in terms of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to translate court judgments, digitisation of court records, the advent of virtual hearings and the promotion of e-court services.
“Hybrid hearings have allowed the Supreme Court to become not just the Supreme Court of that location in Delhi but truly a Supreme Court of the entire nation. Lawyers can (now) address us from across the country. A litigant in a remote part of India can watch the proceedings in their case,” CJI Chandrachud said.
Source: Barandbench
