“Keep Quiet, Leave Court Right Now,” Chief Justice Shouts At Lawyer
DY Chandrachud, the Chief Justice of India, lost his cool today in court and asked a lawyer to leave following an argument on the listing of a case.
According to accounts, Judge Chandrachud “shouted at the top of his voice” at senior attorney Vikas Singh, who was pleading with the Supreme Court to expedite a matter involving land for Supreme Court attorneys. Furious, the Chief Justice yelled: “Keep quiet. Leave this court right now. You cannot cower us down!”
The Supreme Court Bar Association’s president, Vikas Singh, pushed for a hearing on a petition filed by the lawyers’ group asking that land given to the Supreme Court be used for a chamber complex for attorneys. Lawyers had been struggling to have the case listed for the past six months, he said.
“You can’t demand land like this. You tell us the day we are sitting idle for the whole day?” Justice Chandrachud remarked.
Mr Singh threatened to doorstep the Chief Justice. ” I am not saying that you are sitting idle for the whole day. I am only trying to get the matter listed. If it is not done, I will have to escalate and take it to your lordships’ residence. I don’t want the Bar to be taken like this,” he said.
“Don’t threaten the Chief Justice. Is this a way to behave?” Justice Chandrachud shot back.
“I am the Chief Justice. I have been here since March 29, 2000. I have been in this profession for 22 years. I have never allowed myself to be browbeaten by a member of the Bar, litigant or anyone else. I will not do that in the final two years of my career.”
The Chief Justice continued, “You will be treated as an ordinary litigant. Please don’t force my hand to do something you don’t want.”Senior attorneys Kapil Sibal and NK Kaul reportedly apologised to the Chief Justice on behalf of the Bar later.
Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright
