New Delhi: Even the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is human and can lose his cool in court.
It happened in the Supreme Court on Thursday when CJI DY Chandrachud shouted at a lawyer and ordered him to leave, NDTV reported.
So what actually happened?
According to reports, senior advocate Vikas Singh was urging the Supreme Court to hear a case related to land for lawyers of the apex court, when Justice Chandrachud snapped.
“Keep quiet… Leave this court right now. You cannot cower us down!” the CJI told the advocate.
Vikas Singh, president of Supreme Court Bar Association, was pushing for a hearing on a petition by the lawyers’ body seeking that land allotted to Supreme Court be used for a chamber block for lawyers, arguing that lawyers had been struggling to have the case listed for the last six months.
“You can’t demand land like this. You tell us the day we are sitting idle for the whole day?” Justice Chandrachud remarked.
Advocate Singh then threatened the matter to Chief Justice’s doorstep.
“I am not saying that you are sitting idle for the whole day. I am only trying to get the matter listed. If it is not done, I will have to escalate and take it to your lordship’s residence. I don’t want the Bar to be taken like this,” he said, according to NDTV.
To this, Justice Chandrachud shot back: “Don’t threaten the Chief Justice. Is this a way to behave?”
“I am the Chief Justice. I have been here since March 29, 2000. I have been in this profession for 22 years. I have never allowed myself to be browbeaten by a member of the Bar, litigant or anyone else. I will not do that in the final two years of my career,” the CJI asserted.
“You will be treated as an ordinary litigant. Please don’t force my hand to do something you don’t want,” he continued.
Justice Chandrachud asked the lawyer not to raise his voice during the shrill exchanges, as advocate Singh said he felt “strongly” about the subject as lawyers had been waiting for chambers for 20 years.
“Just because the bar doesn’t do anything doesn’t mean it should be taken for granted,” he said.
“Please don’t raise your voice. This is not the way to behave as the President of SCBA. You’re asking for land allotted to the Supreme Court to be given to the bar. I have made my decision. It will be taken on 17th and it will not be first on board,” the Chief Justice affirmed.
Senior lawyers Kapil Sibal and NK Kaul reportedly apologised to the CJI later, on behalf of the Bar.
