JAIPUR: Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday said the political opposition is turning into animosity which is not a sign of a healthy democracy and said a strong parliamentary democracy demands “strengthening of the opposition as well”. There used to be mutual respect between the government and the opposition, but the space for the opposition is shrinking and laws are being passed without detailed deliberations and investigations, he expressed regret at an event here.
The CJI said people expect the court to stand as a counterweight to legislative and executive excesses and it gains seriousness, especially when the opposition is missing in action.
Instead of engaging in meaningful debates to advance democracy, politics has become bitter, he said.
“Diversity of opinion enriches politics and society. Political opposition should not turn into hostility, which we are seeing sadly these days. These are not signs of a healthy democracy,” CJI Raman Told.
He was speaking at an event organized by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on ’75 Years of Parliamentary Democracy’.
Ramana had said at an earlier event that non-filling of judicial vacancies after Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju flagged off a backlog of five crore such cases was the main reason for the huge pendency of cases.
Calling for steps to be taken to address the “grave” issue of high numbers of undertrials affecting the criminal justice system, the CJI said there is a need to question procedures that allow long-term imprisonment without trial. leads away.
Speaking at an event here, he said nearly 80 per cent of the country’s 6.10 lakh prisoners are undertrials and said the process is “a punishment” in the criminal justice system.
At the convening of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, the CJI raised concerns over the quality of the legislative performance.
“There used to be mutual respect between the government and the opposition. Unfortunately, the space for the opposition is shrinking,” he said.
“Sadly, the country is witnessing deterioration in the quality of legislative performance,” he said, adding that laws are being passed without detailed deliberations and scrutiny.
He said that if each branch of the state works with efficiency and responsibility, the burden on others will be reduced considerably.
If the general administration is done efficiently by the officers, then an MLA need not work diligently to ensure basic facilities for his voters.
He said that the Constitution does not specify a minimum number of days for which the state legislature must meet every year. However, there is no doubt that citizens will definitely benefit from longer engagements.
Highlighting the importance of parliamentary debates and parliamentary committees, the CJI said that to strengthen parliamentary democracy, the opposition has to be strengthened as well.
“Leaders in the opposition used to play a stellar role. There used to be a lot of respect between the government and the opposition. Unfortunately, the space for the opposition is shrinking. We are passing laws without detailed deliberation and scrutiny,” They said.
He said that increasing state interference in the lives of the population, public dissatisfaction with the other two organs and increasing awareness of rights have increased the expectations of the public from the judiciary.
In a modern democracy, people expect the court to stand as a counterweight to legislative and executive excesses. He said it acquires seriousness, especially when the opposition is missing in action.
Raman said that as a judge he sometimes wonders how the legislative intent behind the Acts is ascertained. Instead of engaging in meaningful debates to advance democracy, politics has become bitter, he said.
The CJI said that a strong, vibrant and active opposition helps in improving governance and fine-tuning the functioning of the government.
In an ideal world, it is the cooperative functioning of the government and the opposition that will lead to a progressive democracy.
Referring to his views on the deterioration in the quality of the debate on last year’s Independence Day, he said his remarks were perceived in some quarters as criticism of MPs.
“When I expressed those sentiments, my only concern was the burden imposed on the judiciary due to loopholes in law making.
“If the bills are thoroughly and fairly debated and all good suggestions are accommodated, we will have better laws. Laws without lacunae save the judiciary from the avoidable burden of litigation,” he said. They said.
He also suggested that MPs get quality support from legal professionals so that they can make a meaningful contribution to the debate. He said law making is a complicated process and not every MLA can be expected to have a legal background.
The CJI urged the youth to be in touch with the issues of past and present. He said that true empowerment in today’s world lies in true awareness. “Stay aware, stay informed and it is only you who can decide your destiny. The future of this nation depends on your active participation in public life,” he said.