SC Judges Should Have Resolved Issues Internally: Former CJI TS Thakur

Justice Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, MB Lokur, Kurian Joseph

New Delhi: The four senior judges of the Supreme Court should not have held the press conference, said former Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, asserting that the matter ought to have been addressed and solved within the confines of the top court.

An appeal to the nation is not what would have helped the judges and they need not look for outside help for resolving their institutional problems, he said at an event here on Saturday.

Thakur said anyone witnessing that press conference would feel "disturbed" by the development that the highest judiciary was unable to decide issues concerning its working and was taking it to the public.

The press meet gave the media and the politicians an opportunity to discuss matter, he said in his address on the topic of 'Independence of Judiciary' at an event organised by NGO, Global Jurists, founded by former Delhi High Court judge Kailash Gambhir.

"An appeal to the nation is not what would have helped the judges. I firmly believe that judges need not look for outside help for resolving their institutional problems. Judges have to look within and not outside for guidance," he said, referring to the unprecedented January 12 press conference held by four senior judges - Justices J. Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M.B. Lokur and Kurian Joseph - over the functioning of the Supreme Court including the allocation of sensitive cases and on recommendation of judges for appointment to higher judiciary.

Revolting against the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, the four judges had said "all was not well" on the administrative side of the Supreme Court.

The press conference was held at the official residence of Justice Chelameswar, who will retire on June 22, but Friday was his last working day as the Supreme Court will be closed for summer vacation till July 1.