One day after the Indian judiciary was thrown into a tizzy following a press conference by four Supreme Court judges, Justice Kurian Joseph, one of the four ‘rebel judges’, said there is no need for outside intervention to resolve the matter, whereas Justice Ranjan Gogoi said there is ‘no crisis’.
On Friday, four senior Supreme Court judges namely Justices J Chelameswar, Madan B Lokur, Ranjan Gogoi and Kurian Joseph, calling a press conference to inform the nation of “their failed efforts” to convince the Chief Justice to take steps to protect the institution. When asked whether their act had amounted to a violation of discipline, the SC judge refused to comment, claiming he had a flight to catch to Lucknow.
Such an action was slammed by various legal luminaries like Justice RS Sodhi, former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee and former SC Justice Santosh Hegde, among others.
Justice Joseph said the matter was not brought to the attention of the President of India as he has no constitutional responsibility over the Supreme Court or the judges of the apex court. He further added that there was no constitutional lapse from the part of CJI but convention, practice and procedure has to be followed while carrying out his responsibility.
As per reports, as many as 21 Supreme Court judges appeared to close ranks with chief justice Dipak Misra. The judges have come to a consensus that they shall apprise Misra on Monday ‘of the need to maintain solidarity within the uppermost echelons of judiciary and make earnest attempts to repair the damage caused to the institutional dignity by the allegations levelled by the rebel quartet.’
