Judicial credibility needs to be salvaged

The news of huge cash recovery from the official residence of a judge of the Delhi High Court is disturbing and points to serious rut in our judiciary and the state system as a whole. In what was an accidental finding by the fire fighters during a fire operation on Holi. The judge has since been transferred to Allahabad high court and the cji is said to be exploring in house inquiry options. The judiciary of late has been facing a serious problem of credibility and it is struggling to save its independent image. That the current political discourse seeks a committed judiciary and does not appreciate independent institutions has gained currency. The conduct of the last 5 chief justices has not helped the case, and the infamous press conference of four Supreme Court judges in January 2018 exposed the crisis in front of the people but the situation has not improved since then, and the government doesn’t seem to be worried about it either. The call for judicial accountability has long been debated and the government had attempted to undo the collegium in 2015 but was stonewalled by the court. The court’s case has been seriously undermined by this incident. It will seriously struggle to save its independence and needs to put its house in order first. The last thing we can afford is a weakened judiciary infront of an increasingly authoritarian government not approving of civil liberties and dissent.