Panaji: Justice Satyaranjan Dharmadhikari, a Bombay High Court judge, on Saturday cautioned people not to burden the judiciary with their “over-expectations” without understanding the Constitutional powers and limitations of the judiciary.
He was speaking at a function organised by the Lokvishwas Pratishthan, a Goa-based body working for persons with disabilities. Justice Dharmadhikari said people have been using the judiciary often as an instrument to give a “jolt” to governments, which he finds as being improper.
He said the biggest challenge before the judiciary is that people have been relying on it “a bit too much”, and are approaching the courts with their day-to-day concerns, shunning their own responsibilities.
“When you become so dependent on something, then you tend to forget the dangers in it,” he said.
He said people cannot expect the judiciary to go beyond the laws made by the legislature. “That would not be fair. Judiciary cannot make laws, it can only interpret the laws.”
He urged people to understand that independent and autonomous judiciary “does not mean it will be against the government.”
Mr. Dharmadhikari said another challenge before the judiciary was the challenge from within, and lamented that the country lacks good educational institutions and law colleges to impart high-quality law education.
He said the Bar Council of India “does not seem to have a policy to ensure that syllabus in colleges or institutes will enhance the quality of education, or inculcate ethical aspects.”
He also said that law is no more a popular choice of career among “good students.”
