New Delhi: Flagging recent heatwaves followed by heavy rainfall in Delhi, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud on Tuesday (July 2) said climate change cannot be ignored and stressed the need to adopt a “green lifestyle” to reduce carbon emissions. The CJI was speaking at a foundation stone-laying ceremony at Karkardooma, Shastri Park and Rohini here for trial court buildings in the capital.
He said,
This year, Delhi experienced the hottest-recorded weather. We have experienced two heatwaves followed by record-breaking rain in a single day. Our infrastructure must reflect the reality we live in — climate change can no longer be ignored. One crucial step is to incorporate a green lifestyle into our daily lives, which includes reducing carbon emissions. I was delighted to know that the new buildings will focus on heat-island mitigation and reduce environmental footprint.
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The CJI referred to an 18th-century case, in which one Rama Kamati’s servant was subjected to custodial torture to confess his employer’s criminality. Even Kamati was convicted in the case and he later died in prison.
“Our legal and constitutional system is fundamentally premised on the virtues of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Courts are the guardian of these foundational virtues. We uphold them by enforcing rights-based substantive laws and fairness-based procedural laws,” Justice Chandrachud said, adding that in that case, it later came to light that the evidence against the convict was fabricated.
He said,
The story of Rama Kamati is a reminder that rough, ready and handy justice is an anathema to the rule of law and procedural guarantees, which we have all come to cherish. The foundation of a court must be sound — both in its structural and philosophical capacity. It must subserve no might but the Constitution and be in service of no one but the litigants.
The CJI said courts are not merely sights of sovereign power but are also essential public service providers.
Laying down the foundation stone, he said,
Court premises, like all buildings, are not just made of bricks and concrete. They are made up of hope. Courts are made to realise the virtues of justice and the rule of law. Every case that is being filed before us is with that hope for justice. When we invest in the safety, accessibility and comfort of our judges, lawyers and litigants, we build more than just an efficient system — we make a just and inclusive system.
He said new complexes will enhance the efficiency of the courts and reduce the pendency of cases. Justice Chandrachud added,
Courts are a repository of precedents and an accumulation of social histories. Judges apply the present law, drawing upon the past law to shape the future law. Through their rulings, they bridge historical legal principles with contemporary issues, crafting the legal landscape for tomorrow.
Besides the CJI, Supreme Court judges Sanjiv Khanna and Hima Kohli, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi Hight Court Manmohan and Delhi minister Atishi were present at the function.
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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
