Bipartisan effort has gone into passing of Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament, says CJI

The Chief Justice said, “We often forget the abundant examples of collaboration between institutions to further the interest of justice. This holds true not only in lofty constitutional challenges, but more frequently in the everyday interaction between the courts and the government."

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said individuals with diverse backgrounds and even conflicting ideologies came together to draft the Constitution and the same bipartisan effort has gone into the passing of Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament. The Chief Justice emphasised that institutional collaboration is the precursor to solution-finding while adjudicating judicial questions and it also plays an important role in increasing access to justice.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Bar Council of India's (BCI) two-day 'International Lawyers Conference 2023’ in the national capital, the Chief Justice said that drafting the Constitution of India by the constituent assembly is a classic example of engaging beyond partisan lines. He said, "Individuals from different regions of India, diverse backgrounds and even conflicting ideologies came together to draft the Constitution in one voice….”.

He said, “We find the same bipartisan effort and this is something to which we as citizens of India must be proud, has gone into the passing of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament”. The Chief Justice said it is utopian to think that there will be a day when "we find perfect solutions with no challenges to the justice delivery". He said while the Constitution provides for separation of power among the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, it also creates a space for institutions to learn from each other and deliver justice.

The Chief Justice, who was the chief guest of the programme, which was inaugurated by the PM, said, “Institutional collaboration is a precursor to solution finding not only while adjudicating judicial questions, but it also plays a significant role in increasing access to justice”.

The Chief Justice said, “We often forget the abundant examples of collaboration between institutions to further the interest of justice. This holds true not only in lofty constitutional challenges, but more frequently in the everyday interaction between the courts and the government."

He said a constitution bench of the apex court is presently hearing a challenge pertaining to whether a person holding a driving licence for light motor vehicles can drive a commercial vehicle under the Motor Vehicles Act. He said instead of viewing the case as an adversarial challenge, the court and the government are collaborating to protect the livelihood of millions of drivers across the country.

The Chief Justice emphasised that the ultimate aim of different institutions is the same and that is the progress and prosperity of the nation. He said cited last week, a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by the PM, approved phase three of the e-courts project with a financial outlay of over Rs 7,000 crore.

He also cited the slogan for the recently concluded G20 summit -- 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' -- the world is one family. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Attorney General of India R Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice of the United Kingdom Alex Chalk KC, Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra and others, including several judges of the apex court, were present at the event.