The sheer “defiance” of governments towards judicial pronouncements, their inclination to pass off the responsibility of decision-making to courts and the legislature’s ambiguity, lack of foresight and public consultation before making laws had led to docket explosion, Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said here on Saturday. It had forced the judiciary to dabble in policy to render justice to the common man, he added at a joint conference of Chief Justices and Chief Ministers attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The CJI pointed to how courts, already overburdened, had to deal with the “new problem” of “contempt petitions” triggered by the “deliberate inaction” of governments that chose to ignore judgments and orders. “The contempt petitions are a new category of burden on the courts, which is a direct result of the defiance by the governments. Deliberate inaction by the governments, despite judicial pronouncements, is not good for the health of democracy.” he said.
