Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde on Thursday said lawyers and judges are equal partners in the justice delivery system. If one branch is weakened, it affects the other.
Chief Justice Bobde, speaking at a felicitation programme organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, advocated resilience and the readiness to accept and adapt to change as a key factor to progress in the legal profession.
“Bar should be alive to change,” the CJI said in his address to a gathering of lawyers at the Supreme Court lawns.
The Chief Justice said the Bench derives its power from the Bar. “Great judgments originate from great arguments,” CJI Bobde said.
The CJI said he was personally aware of the trials and tribulations of a lawyer, himself having been one for 22 years followed by a 19-year tenure on the Bench.
The CJI described the judiciary and lawyers — the Bar and the Bench — as co-parceners of an undivided family.
He said legal professionals should pay as much attention to mental well-being as well as their physical health.
The Chief Justice highlighted the need to harness IT and technology to assist a speedy and cost-effective justice administration mechanism in courts.
The CJI said artificial intelligence is needed but should not replace the judiciary.
In his address, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal said Chief Justices of India should have at least a three-year term. The Collegium should keep in mind a three-tenure for CJIs.
SCBA president and senior advocate Rakesh Khanna raised the need for more chamber space for lawyers in the apex court. He said courts are crowded as advocates do not have enough space to work and rest.
