"Threat to judiciary's integrity”: A group of lawyers writes to CJI Chandrachud raising alarm [Read Letter]

New Delhi: Expressing concern over what they perceive as a “threat to the judiciary's integrity”, group of lawyers, including senior advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, from across India have written to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

The lawyers condemned the "vested interest group" attempting to manipulate judicial processes, influence court decisions, and tarnish the reputation of the judiciary with baseless allegations and political agendas.

Read the full letter

The group of lawyers, who are behind the letter titled "Judiciary Under Threat-Safeguarding Judiciary from Political and Professional Pressure", number around 600 and also include Adish Aggarwala, Chetan Mittal, Pinky Anand, Hitesh Jain, Ujjwala Pawar, Uday Holla and Swarupama Chaturvedi, the official sources said.

The letter also raised concerns about the “concocted theory of bench fixing,” wherein attempts are made to influence the composition of judicial benches and cast aspersions on the integrity of judges.

“They have also concocted an entire theory of 'bench fixing' - which is not just disrespectful and contemptuous - it's an attack on the honour and dignity of our courts. At times, it also leads to slanderous attacks and insinuations on respected judges. They have also stooped to the level of comparing our courts to those countries where there is no rule of law and accusing our judicial institutions with unfair practices. These aren't just criticisms; they are direct attacks meant to damage the public's trust in our judiciary and threaten the fair application of our laws,” the letter reads.

The lawyers said that interest groups involved selective criticism or praise of court decisions based on their political agenda, described as a “My way or the highway" approach.

The letter also called for a united stand in support of the judiciary to ensure it remains a strong pillar of democracy, urging decisive leadership in addressing these challenges