Judiciary in India a bastion of elites, Hindus and men? Former CJI speaks out

'NO POLITICAL PRESSURE ON JUDICIARY'

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Former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has said that higher courts, particularly the Supreme Court, have sent a clear message that they are committed to safeguarding personal liberties, which is why the judiciary retains the faith of the people.

In an interview on BBC's HARDtalk with veteran journalist Stephen Sackur, the former Chief Justice addressed a range of questions, including gender representation in the judiciary, key judgements such as the Ram Janmabhoomi case and the Article 370 case, and whether the judiciary in India is dominated by elite, upper-caste men.

When asked if the Indian judiciary suffers from a dynasty problem and whether it is predominantly controlled by elite, male, Hindu upper-caste figures like himself, Justice (retd) Chandrachud disagreed. "If you look at the lowest levels of recruitment to the Indian judiciary, the district judiciary, which is the base of the pyramid, over 50 per cent of the new recruits coming into our states are women. There are states where the recruitment of women goes up to 60 or 70 per cent."

He stated that the composition of the higher judiciary today reflects the status of the legal profession a decade ago. "As legal education has expanded, particularly among women, the gender balance in law schools is now mirrored in the lower levels of the Indian judiciary. Women entering the district judiciary today will progress through the system," he said.