New Delhi: The Chief Justice of India (CJI), D.Y. Chandrachud said on Saturday that for the court, there are no big and small cases – every matter is important, and the court has sought to use the language of the Constitution to humanise law and act as the protector and defender of fundamental rights and liberties.
Addressing a programme to mark the 73rd anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice said: “If we peruse the history of this court, we realise that the history of the Supreme Court is the history of the daily life struggles of the Indian people.”
Citing the daily case mentioning list, he stressed that through these seemingly requests, one can sense the pulse of the nation.
“Above all, the message in this uniquely citizen-centric initiative is an assurance that the court exists to protect our citizens from injustice, their liberties are as precious to us and that the judges work in close connect with the citizens,” he said.
Chandrachud emphasised that for the court, there are no big or small cases, as every matter is important, and because it is in the seemingly small and routine matters involving grievances of citizens that issues of constitutional and jurisprudential importance emerge.
“In attending to such grievances, the court performs a plain constitutional duty, obligation and function,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court serves the world’s most populous democracy and is in true aspect a ‘people’s court’ because it is a collective heritage of the citizens of India.
The Chief Justice added that the court has also ensured that the criminal justice administration is not de-linked from the framework of human rights.
He said, for instance, while the death penalty has been upheld to be legal, the Supreme Court laid down various mitigating and aggravating circumstances that a judge should take into account before awarding the death sentence.
“This ensures fairness in the process. Psychiatric assessment of death row convicts is a humanising influence on the law. Thus, the court has sought to use the language of the Constitution to humanise law and act as the protector and defender of fundamental rights and liberties,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court has made a constant endeavour to ensure access to justice for everyone.