Black or White- or is it Grey?

'Middle-class Indians love the judiciary. We look upon the sage men in black as new-age incarnations of Walter Raleigh, spreading their robes across puddles of corruption and sleaze and enabling a genteel jump across the muck and the slime.

If someone were to draw up a list of institutions that we still believe in, I suspect only two would qualify — the Indian Army and the judiciary. If soldiers protect the nation’s physical well being, the courts are the gatekeepers of its conscience.' Barkha dutt


Small wonder then that we blindly support every attempt by the judiciary to insulate itself from external control. This is because we believe in the independence of the judiciary.

But should this independence mean freedom from accountability?

It may be a worn-out cliché, but after all these years, it's a question still in search of an answer: who will judge the judges?


Barkha firstly i dont think the Indian Army and the judiciary system are the only 2 institutions we look upto, i personally have lost faith in our Judiciary. Cases like Jessica and Priyadarshini get justice because of a public outcry and media coverage but what about those thousands of cases which go unheard of, cases which come in the news as a flash and then loose sight before even being discussed.I remember a spanish women was raped at Srifort during the Osian film festival a few years back, the police kept giving assurances but nothing happened and so many more cases where our police and then the judicial system have left citizens heads drop in shame.The decisions on Manu sharma and Santosh singh are welcome, but i doubt how much time would this last for,


And on who guards the judicial system? How objective can the judiciary be about itself? Should there not be some external, independent, representation on the council?

It is no one’s case that ministers or MPs must be on the council —

You and I may not believe that a minister, or even a nominee of the President, is above suspicion. But surely, an ombudsman or an elder statesman, or even a group of eminent citizens should be able to find place on such a judicial council? Britain just set an example by appointing a former naval officer as its ombudsman on judicial appointments. Why should any Indian judge resist a similar move here?

But, in a country where the Chief Justice of India is on record saying that at least 20 per cent of all judges are corrupt, there has hardly been any public debate around the provisions of the Bill. The judiciary’s most autocratic weapon — contempt of court — keeps even the normally bulldog-like media meek as lambs. The result: very few cases of judicial corruption ever become public. Most remain hushed whispers in the corridors of power — to be used as useful information to strike an even more useful bargain.

And finally, judges are as human as you and me. In a state where its become the survival of the strongest and justice has been crippled by those who have the power and money hence dictate terms, there maybe its only the common man who can rescue the country.

We need another fight for FREEDOM, non voilent as the Mahatma said but Independence is what we want, from this currupt, polluted , distastefull and unjust SYSTEM........


'I believe that history is never static, and that time and context can alter both meaning and symbolism' Mohan das karamchand Gandhi



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