Chief Justice of India on equating judges with deities: 'Grave danger'

The CJI said, he would rather recast the role of the judge as server of the people, thus bringing in the notion of compassion and empathy.

Supreme Court Chief Justice DY Chandrachud stated that the tendency to equate judges with gods is incorrect, emphasising that judges' duty is to serve the public interest. He cautioned that there is a grave danger in people saying that the court is the temple of justice.

"When we are addressed as 'Honour' or as 'Lordship' or 'Ladyship', there is a very grave danger ... and people say that the court is a temple of justice. There is a grave danger that we perceive ourselves as deities in those temples," the Chief Justice said while addressing a conference at the National Judicial Academy in Kolkata.

He added, "Therefore speaking for myself, though I have my own set of personal values which are deeply personal to me, I am a little reticent when I am told that this is a temple of justice because the temple postulates that judges are in the position of a deity".

Further, the CJI said, he would rather recast the role of the judge as server of the people, thus bringing in the notion of compassion and empathy.

"I would rather recast the role of the judge as a server of the people. When you regard yourselves as people who are there to serve others then you bring in the notion of compassion, of empathy, of judging others but not being judgmental about others," Bar and Bench quoted the Chief Justice as saying.