During an exchange over an arbitration order, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud rebuked a lawyer after he told him that he has cross-checked the details of the order dictated with the court master
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Thursday expressed his displeasure at a lawyer in the Supreme Court after he told him that he has cross-checked details of the order dictated with the court master.
The CJI reminded the lawyer that though these are his last days in court, he is still in charge and warned him not to “try these funny tricks again”.
“How dare you ask the court master what I dictated in the court? Tomorrow, you will come to my house and ask my personal secretary what I’m doing? Lawyers have lost all sense or what?” he asked. “Don’t try these funny tricks again, these are my last days in court.”
Chief Justice Chandrachud is set to retire on November 10. His stern remarks came during an exchange over an arbitration order. This is not the first time he has pulled up lawyers for violating proper procedures and poor conduct during his two-year term, and has repeatedly stressed on courtroom decorum.
Only a few days ago, he criticised a lawyer for using informal language in court and responding with ‘yeah’. “This is not a coffee shop! What is this yeah yeah. I am very allergic to this yeah yeah. This cannot be allowed,” he rebuked the lawyer.
On October 1, he deprecated the practice of mentioning a case for urgent hearing by different lawyers, saying he will not allow this as it put his “personal credibility” at stake. At times, lawyers, in their bid to get their cases listed for urgent hearings, take chances and get the same cases mentioned again and again on different dates by changing advocates.
“Stop this practice of repeated mentioning by different counsels. All of you are just trying to take a chance. Whatever little discretion I have as the Chief Justice will never be exercised in your favour, because there is an attempt to take this court for a ride. Get three different counsels and see… the judge blinks and you get an order. This is what is happening in this court. I will not do it. Because my personal credibility is at stake…” he said.
Earlier this year, he had a verbal argument with a lawyer and blasted him for raising his voice during the hearing in the electoral bonds case.
