Don't make disparaging remarks on the judiciary

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha yesterday urged politicians, journalists and lawyers not to make disparaging remarks about the judiciary.

"Everybody has to remember that the judiciary is one of the main organs of the state. Everyone will have to keep its prestige intact," he said.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The chief justice was speaking at a meeting marking the 90th birth anniversary of late Shawkat Ali Khan, a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court, at SC Bar Association auditorium.

He said that till today the country's judiciary has not lost its sense of ethics. It has not derailed, nor has it acted with bias, he added.

"I say the independence of the judiciary will never be destroyed," he asserted.

Justice Sinha said the lawyers once used to remain united in preserving the dignity of the judiciary.

“But now their associations are clearly divided. The lawyers today do not hesitate to criticise the judiciary. My request is please don't make disparaging remarks about the judiciary. It hurts me when such comments are made”

Speaking on the media, he said journalism is not a business, it's a profession.

"But now it is being regarded as a business. For their personal gains, some of the media outlets do not refrain from publishing news against the judiciary," the chief justice said.

"If we spend time filing contempt of court cases against newspapers or newsmen, how would we complete trials of lakhs of pending cases?" he said.