I feel I have left the system in a better condition than it was… CJI DY Chandrachud said on retirement

New Delhi: Justice DY Chandrachud retired from his/her post on Sunday. Justice Sanjeev Khanna will take oath as CJI in his/her place today. After retirement, Justice Chandrachud is openly expressing his/her opinion on many issues. he/she gave an interview to our colleague Times of India. In the last interview, he/she spoke openly on many important issues like hate speech, reservation, executive-judiciary relations and judges’ salaries. he/she also said that I feel that I am leaving the system in a better state than it was before. Some excerpts from DY Chandrachud’s interview-Better arrangement than before – Chandrachud
Justice Chandrachud served as a Supreme Court judge for more than eight years and as CJI for the last two years. he/she said in an exclusive interview to TOI that he/she feels he/she has made the system better than he/she found it. he/she referred to his/her judgments on the rights of persons with disabilities, right to information, economic federalism and the principle of equal opportunity in the context of gender and caste discrimination. he/she also said that with the increasing influence of social media, the impact of hate speeches has increased manifold and it has a deep impact on the minds and emotions of people.

Is India’s democracy in danger?
Answering this question, Justice Chandrachud said that there are no uniform components of democracy that every country must fulfill to ensure that it is functioning ‘democratically’. The basis of democratic functioning in India, where we face our own unique problems, is different from the basis of democracy in other countries. he/she further said that in India, we do not believe in only ‘political’ understanding of democracy. Issues related to elections or representation, such as voting rights or boundary demarcation, are part of democratic governance.

We also believe in social democracy, meaning the existence of certain minimum social factors such as absence of discrimination and ensuring genuine equality of opportunity. What is the role of institutions in democracy? Institutions are created and empowered to ensure that (i) the foundations of democracy are not violated and (ii) the values ​​on which democratic foundations rest are promoted.

What did you say on hate speeches?
Justice DY Chandrachud said that I am a strong believer and supporter of freedom of speech and expression. Constitutional freedoms are subject to reasonable restrictions. I also believe that rights through sanctions should not remain mere paper rights. Hate speech is a matter of concern. With the rise of social media its influence has now increased manifold.

There is a growing number of keyboard warriors who use their freedom of speech to say things just to get attention and remain publicly relevant. Hurtful comments have far-reaching consequences on people’s mental and emotional health. What should India do to stop this? The law adopted by the State should be included within the ambit of the restrictions. Its effect should not be to reduce freedom of expression.