'Unwarranted criticism of Judiciary exhibit deliberate indifference and ignorance', SG Tushar Mehta defends Court's functioning amid Covid

On Monday, defending the functioning of the Indian Judiciary while appearing in a Webinar, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta said that those who are criticising the Courts on this count are exhibiting their ignorance to what is happening in the country.

The Current SG vented his views while speaking during the virtualt interaction with former and current Additional Solicitors General of India at the Supreme Court hosted by the Adhivakta Parishad, Mehta.

He praised for Courts for all the efforts made:

"We have critics who criticise everything… but one of the unwarranted criticism is against the judiciary…. The Courts in the country have not shut even for a day. The Supreme Court has worked on a daily basis ... each and every day our system of dispensation of justice was accessible to each and every citizen and was dealing with petitions which could have been avoided. May petitions were such that the judges could have imposed costs but they refrained from doing, considering the circumstances."

He added:

"To criticise the judicial system would be showing, not only a deliberate indifference, but would be exhibiting our ignorance to what is happening in the country."

He opined that the judiciary is functioning as wholelly and daily, right from the Trial Courts to the Top Court. It has given access to justice for everyone in the country. Mehta also added that the Narendra Modi-led Government had handled the pandemic situation methodically and scientifically.

He asserted that his praise of Govt are not political statements, and that he is making such comments as a citizen and a Lawyer who has seen the government working.

SG Mehta also appreciated Attorney General KK Venugopal in his address for his guidance to the law officers. 

He said:

“For AG KKV, age is merely a number… Whenever we requested him ‘sir, this requires your appearance and none else’, he has come, prepared, argued to the extent that he has exposed himself to meeting the officers - because some matters require personal interaction. It is really amazing.. you have to learn a lot from him. But for his guidance, we as a team of law officers, we could not have passed through this phase in the courts",

In his concluding remark, he urged Lawyers to not lose hope and said:

"If a lawyer of any country becomes weak, the country becomes weak. We are the pillars of strength in any democratic country and we cannot lose faith in the system or faith in the destiny because there s a temporary pause button used by the Almighty."

Source: Bar and Bench