: Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul on Thursday exhorted the judiciary to strive towards protecting all sections by heeding all voices, including those that are not in consonance with the views of the majority.
Hoisting the national flag at the High Court on the occasion of the Republic Day, Chief Justice Kaul said, often, the judiciary found itself ranged against popular views. On such occasions, in some sense, the judiciary could be viewed as anti-majoritarian, because it has to take difficult decisions to protect all sections of the society. Incidentally, his remarks come against the backdrop of the popular upsurge demanding lifting of the ban on jallikattu, which eventually led to the amendment of the Prevention of Cruelty Act.
Referring to an atmosphere of cynism that pervades the society, he said, “Cynicism is there towards every authority, possibly because the aspirations of the people are huge. But then, this cynicism must give way to a sense of pride; without pride in our achievement, the progress will be slower. It is easy to criticise sometimes, but it is difficult to construct something.”
Earlier, applauding the Indian Constitution as one of the modern constitutions, the Chief Justice said, “India and its leaders gave every citizen of this country the right of adult franchise much before many nations, including the European nations.”
