india

Updated: Aug 05, 2019 01:26 IST

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Sunday expressed concern over belligerent behaviour by a few individuals and some groups, but hoped that the country’s legal institution would overcome such “wayward” constituents.

“It is unfortunate that the present times are witnessing belligerent and reckless behaviour by a few individuals and some groups,” he said while addressing a function after laying the foundation stone of the Gauhati high court auditorium here.

“I am hopeful such incidents turn out to be exceptions and the strong traditions and ethos of our institution shall always assist our stakeholders to display resilience to overcome the belligerence of such wayward constituents,” Gogoi said without elaborating specific incidents and naming any group.

The CJI urged judges and judicial officers to keep in mind that the orders and judgments passed by them help in strengthening the public faith in the judiciary. “Public faith and confidence on which our institution lives and survives is largely built upon the basis of orders and judgments passed by us. It is through such order and judgements that the public judges us.”

Gogoi expressed concern at the rate of pendency in civil and criminal cases. “Out of 2 crore 10 lakh criminal cases, pendency at the summoning stage is over a crore. Nearly 20 lakh civil cases are at summoning stage. This is about 23% of the civil cases in the country,” he said.

CJI said more than 1000 cases are pending in courts across India for more than 50 years and about two lakh cases pending for 25 years.

Gogoi said posts of 403 judges in 25 high courts called for increasing the retirement age of high court judges from 62 to 65 years to bring down pendency of cases.