Don't Provoke Critics, Decide Cases Without Fear Or Favor- Justice Pardiwala To Judicial Officers
While addressing a conference of Judicial Officers in Gujarat, Justice JB Pardiwala of the Supreme Court said that Judges should decide cases without fear or favor.
"You the Judges of the District Judiciary are expected to decide cases without fear or favor, affection or ill will, friend or foe. Be bold in your judgments, decide a case without fear and favor.", he said while addressing the Judicial Officers in Ahmedabad through video conferencing on Saturday.
Calling them the "bedrock on which stands the entire edifice of justice," Justice Pardiwala urged officers of the district judiciary to keep the "river of judicial process" clean.
"If the faith of the people is to be maintained in the Judiciary then the river of the Judiciary process has to be kept clean. Hence we must avoid fear or favor", Justice Pardiwala said.
"If people think your judgment is biased, coloured, or partial, they'd doubt the judicial process and the river of the judicial process stands contaminated. It is part of our duty to keep the river clean. Impartiality is the hallmark of the Judge," he added further.
He also stated that a Judicial Officer must conduct themselves in such a manner, so as not to provoke the critics.
"The first and the foremost attribute you must inculcate as a judicial officer is the necessity of conducting yourselves in such a manner, both inside and outside the court, so as not to provoke the critics," he said.
He further stated that a Judge has to be patient, courteous, impartial and fearless. "The Conduct of a judicial officer has to be above reproach. It needs little emphasis that the judge has to be patient, courteous, impartial and fearless, he has to be firm but not rude." he added.
Justice Bela Trivedi of the Supreme Court also spoke via video conferencing. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Justice MR Shah of the Supreme Court also attended the event held at the Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Auditorium.
