Blitz Bureau
Highlighting the pivotal role of public trust in the judiciary, chief justice of India DY Chandrachud said that a functional legal system relies on the independence of the courts.
Speaking on the topic, “Enhancing Judicial Accountability and Public Trust: Leveraging Transparency and Technology,” at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law, Bhutan, the CJIsaid that while courts must remain independent from public opinion, they still need the trust and confidence of the people.
“Public trust is central to the credibility of the judicial branch, which is otherwise insulated from public opinion in its operations. As it must be, as judges we have to be insulated to retain our independence. But equally, just as we are insulated from the popular opinions of the day, we must have our bearings in public trust and confidence,” he said.
Speaking on the crucial role of transparency in combating misinformation, he said that clear and accessible information from the courts is vital for maintaining public trust. “Institutional trust is determined by the experience of individuals. The language of the law and courts, distance between the litigants and the courts and familiarity or the lack of familiarity of court processes are important determinants of the accessibility of our courts to the people. Linguistic differences, physical inaccessibility and complex procedures often exercise an alienating influence on the people and erode public trust,” he said.
He pointed out how people’s trust in the legal system is influenced by their personal experiences with courts, such as the ease of understanding legal processes and how fairly cases are handled. The forum was attended by more than 300 participants, including officials, lawyers, and students among others.
