New Delhi: Displeased with the nature of posts and comments by advocates, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, on Friday, came down hard on youngsters without jobs who become social media and Right to Information (RTI) activists with the sole aim to ” everyone”.
The bench of CJI Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was pulling up a lawyer who’s been seeking senior advocate designation, when the Chief Justice made the comments.
“The entire world may be eligible to become senior (advocate), but at least you are not entitled,” the bench told the petitioner, represented by lawyer Sanjay Dubey, as reported by ANI.
The CJI, who was visibly upset, noted that even if the Delhi High Court were to confer Senior Advocate designation upon the lawyer, the SC would set that aside. CJI Kant also referred to language used by the petitioner’s lawyer on Facebook, specific details of which were not readily available, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The CJI Kant then spoke of society at large. “There are already parasites of society who attack the system and you want to join hands with them,” he said.
“There are youngsters, like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment or have any place in profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone,” CJI Kant further remarked.
The petitioner then apologised to the bench and sought permission to withdraw the petition; which was permitted.
The court also expressed concern over what it saw as a growing number of lawyers allegedly holding fake law degrees.
He was waiting for an appropriate case to order a CBI investigation into the law degrees of many Delhi advocates, whose posts on social media he saw as problematic, the CJI noted.
“I have serious doubts about the genuineness of their law degrees… the things they are posting on Facebook, YouTube, etc., do they think we are not watching?” he said.
