Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has expressed his concerns about the truth being a "victim" in the age of false news and social media. Speaking at the American Bar Association India Conference 2023, he said that something that is said as a seed germinates into virtually a whole theory that can never be tested on the anvil of rational science.
"We live in an age where people are short on their patience and tolerance because they are not willing to accept perspectives which are different from their own," he said.
Justice Chandrachud spoke about the role of technology in the judiciary, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the importance of having more women judges. He said that truth has become a victim in an age of false news, and the spread of social media has led to something which is said as a seed germinating into virtually a whole theory which cannot be tested on the anvil of rational science.
Justice Chandrachud said that the Indian Constitution is a prime example of globalisation, even before we ventured into the age of globalisation. When the Constitution was drafted, its makers had possibly no idea of the lines along which humanity would evolve. They did not possess notions of privacy, there was no internet, and they did not live in a world that was controlled by algorithms. They certainly did not have social media.
Justice Chandrachud praised the use of video-conferencing in the Indian judiciary during the pandemic, which has led to a decentralisation of justice and greater access to justice. He said that the Supreme Court of India is not just the apex court of Tilak Marg at New Delhi, but it represents the aspirations of citizens in the smallest villages in the country.
Apart from technology, the Chief Justice highlighted the need for vital issues to confront the legal profession today. He said that our profession is still patriarchal, feudal, and built upon kinships and relationships of community. Globalisation has led to its own discontent, and there are a number of reasons for this, including the terror attacks which took place in 2001.
The CJI expressed his thoughts on the lack of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. He said that unless there is a level-playing field for women to enter and thrive in the legal profession, there is no magic wand by which we can have apex court judges drawn from among women. We have to create a framework and groundwork for a more diverse and inclusive profession today if we truly have to create a future where our profession will be more inclusive and diverse.
The statistics on recent recruitment in the district judiciary in India indicate that in many states, more than 50% are women. The cause of this is the spread of education in India. As education spreads in India, women's education has gone up, and there is today a perception on the part of the growing middle class in India that the key to prosperity of an average Indian family is to educate their daughters.
The CJI also gave details of how the Supreme Court has adopted technology, including live-streaming of proceedings of the constitution benches and translation of judgements in regional languages. Overall, the CJI addressed a range of issues, including technology, diversity, and inclusion in the legal profession, and the challenges of globalisation.