Cordial relations between Bar and Bench and the Judge’s Disease
Judges’ disease
There can be no two opinion that the bar and the bench are the two sides of the same coin and should respect each other and maintain a cordial and healthy relationship. However, as legendary Justice Krishna Iyer has lamented a not so minority among the judges become afflicted of ” judges disease ” and treat litigants and lawyers badly.
The hapless lawyer and the litigant, the victim of arrogance, pomposity and irritability of the judges if had reacted out of sense of hurt, being humiliated and ill treated publically is threatened with contempt. The only option open to the lawyer/litigant, victim, is to plead guilty of the offence he did not commit and tender apology.
Am not tarring all the judges with same brush. I have come across many noble judges least afflicted by intoxication of power which made me sometimes wonder are they made of flesh and marrow, to borrow the words of Einstein.
Former CJ of Punjab Vazifdar, former CJI Thakur and former SC judge C.K.Thakkar, to name a few, belong to the of noble tribe of judges whose number, sadly is fast dwindling.
