In India, “we are using the money to break down the internet divide,” he said (File)
Dhaka:
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Saturday said people’s faith in the Constitution increases when Parliament, the Supreme Court or the Election Commission come forward in situations of “ambiguity and uncertainty”.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of a two-day legal conference here in the Bangladesh capital, DY Chandrachud said constitutions by their nature are blueprints and not detailed, ready-made solutions for all contingencies.
Chandrachud, in ‘South Asian Constitutional Courts in the Twenty-First Century: Lessons from Bangladesh and India’, said constitutions are not like the Income Tax Act (where people come forward to pay it). “It is our responsibility to take the Constitution, which is the source of our authority, into the lives of the people,” the CJI said at the conference. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also attended the conference.
“The legitimacy of governance institutions, including courts, is primarily dependent on the functioning of the institutions within the limits delineated by the Constitution,” he said in his speech titled ‘Post-Colonial Constitutional Development in South Asia’.
“People’s faith in the Constitution is really (strengthened) only when the institutions of governance, be it Parliament, the Central Investigation Agency, the Election Commission or the Supreme Court, rise to the occasion,” he said. Institutions emerge not in situations in which there are clear answers, but in situations of ambiguity and uncertainty.”
The court’s order becomes effective only when “we meaningfully secure the principles that the Constitution promises us – liberty, equality, non-discrimination and due process.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the chief guest, while Chief Justice of Bangladesh Obaidul Hasan presided over the event, which was attended by Law Minister Anisul Haq among others.
In his address, Chandrachud also said that the court systems in both India and Bangladesh should make greater use of technology to “reach out to citizens” and bridge the gap by “breaking down the internet divide”. He said, “We must ensure that we, as judges and courts, learn to communicate with and reach out to our citizens; we cannot expect our citizens to reach out to us. This is a reflection of the changing face of our society. represents.”
The CJI said, “I am always asked about the technology divide… especially about the Internet divide, even in countries like India – is technology only for the elite? My answer is complete. Kind of the opposite.”
In India, “We are using the money to break down the Internet divide,” he said and pointed out how as part of a technology project, the Indian government allocated Rs 7,000 crore to the Indian judiciary.
“We have set up a national judicial database, which maps every case across India into judicial data grade. We have introduced digital ACR to the resources of the Supreme Court,” the CJI said. Not only for Indian citizens, but also for people around the world.
“We are also setting up ‘e-Seva Kendras’ in every court and judicial establishment in India so that citizens who do not have smartphones or Android phones can access all the facilities provided by judges and courts. ,” the CJI said.
Among other things, the CJI also said, both India and Bangladesh share a tradition of constitutional and judicial systems largely aimed at ensuring stability and both countries recognize their Constitutions as “living documents”. Is.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
