NEW DELHI, 11 Feb: Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Saturday said that diversity and representation are crucial not only for rectifying historical injustices but also for enriching the decision-making capacity of courts.
Speaking on the occasion of the second annual lecture series to mark the first sitting of the Supreme Court on 28 January, 1950, Chandrachud said, “It is important to emphasise that diversity and representation is crucial not only for rectifying historical injustices but also for enriching the decision-making capacity of courts. The evolving representation of nation-states before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has notably challenged its historically monocultural and Eurocentric outlook,” he said.
“Likewise, integrating gender diversity within the courts would substantially broaden the spectrum of perspectives, leading to more comprehensive and equitable decisions,” he said.
Emphasising that the apex court has made strides in making its provisions gender inclusive, Chandrachud said, “The Supreme Court released a sensitisation module for the judiciary on the LGBTQIA+ community, which seeks to sensitise members of the judiciary on concepts of gender and sexual diversity, on the usage of appropriate terminologies, and makes recommendations on the protocol to be followed by courts while interacting with the members of the queer community.”
He added that, similarly, the top court last year released a “handbook to combat gender stereotypes,” in an attempt to ensure that judges use inclusive language and consciously avoid the use of stereotypes in decision-making.
“Before 2024, only 12 women had been bestowed with the title of ‘senior advocate’ throughout the entire history of the Supreme Court. However, recently there was a significant shift as the Supreme Court designated 11 women hailing from various regions across the country as senior advocates,” he highlighted.
International Court of Justice Judge Hilary Charlesworth was present as a guest. Singapore Supreme Court Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon was the guest at the first edition of the annual lecture series last year.
The programme was attended by top court judges, high court judges, senior lawyers, law students, and interns.
Chandrachud further said that “nowadays legal forums across the globe are recognising that they cannot view themselves as divorced from the sociopolitical realities and aspirations of the time.”
“This recognition fosters an environment conducive to mutual learning and exchange of ideas,” the CJI said, adding that he is hopeful that the lawyers and researchers who are being mentored are going to change the way the legal systems have been working in.
“The new generation of lawyers and scholars are evolving new paradigms to reimagine the conceptions of law and justice,” he said. (PTI)