Impartial judicial system essential for free and fair democracy: Gadkari

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said an impartial and fair judicial system is necessary for a free and fair democracy.

“During cabinet meetings, when discussions on tribunals and other things are held, I often tell the law minister and the prime minister that whatever the decision may be, it is the right of the judiciary to give the decision and it should not be influenced by anybody,” Gadkari said at the inauguration of an amenities block of the Maharashtra National Law University in Nagpur.

Gadkari further called for time-bound court rulings to save the nation from financial loss.

“An independent, impartial and fair judicial system is essential for a free and fair democracy. If the court gives its decision within the time limit, then the country can be saved from the loss of lakhs of crores of rupees. I have seen big companies getting ruined due to delays in justice. And by the time they get justice from the government or the court, they become dead.”

“Time is the biggest capital. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi many administrative reforms have taken place,” he added.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Supreme Court judges Justice Bhushan Gavai, Justice PS Narasimha and senior judges of the Mumbai High Court were present at the event.

Earlier, the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said that the political party in power believes that every governmental action is entitled to judicial endorsement and the parties in opposition expect the judiciary to advance their political positions and cause but the judiciary is answerable to the Constitution only.

Chief Justice Ramana affirmed at a felicitation organised by the Association of Indian Americans in San Francisco, US.

“As we celebrate 75th year of Independence this year and as our Republic turned 72, with some sense of regret I must add here that we still haven’t learnt to appreciate wholly the roles and responsibilities assigned by the Constitution to each of the Institutions,” Chief Justice Ramana said.

“The party in power believes that every Governmental action is entitled to judicial endorsement. The parties in opposition expect the judiciary to advance their political positions and causes. This flawed thinking of all hues flourishes in the absence of proper understanding among people about the Constitution and the functioning of the democratic institutions,” he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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