On Tuesday, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud of India scolded a lawyer for complaining to him about a different Supreme Court judge, requesting that he file a review petition if he felt wronged by any court orders.
Lawyer’s Threat to CJI’s Courtroom
Attorney Ashok Pandey stormed into the CJI’s courtroom, threatening to have his license revoked, according to the judge. Offended by the attorney’s actions, Chief Justice Chandrachud said that the Supreme Court lacks the ability to review decisions within the court.
“You have the option to file a review petition if you feel that one of this court’s orders has wronged you. Each judge on this court has decades of experience practicing law in addition to their extensive expertise as judges,” he said.
Attorney Pandey’s Complaint About the Fine
Pandey said the Supreme Court had penalized him for bringing a PIL.
“I was only asking for the recall of the order imposing a fine, but instead the judge asked me to go out of the courtroom and even threatened that my license would be cancelled,” he told the bench.
Chief Justice’s Patience Tested
Pandey was informed by Justice Chandrachud that he was running out of patience.
“After listening to you for a long time, I’m starting to run out of patience. I can see how things may turn out in different courts. Please pursue legal recourse if necessary,” he continued.
Subsequently, Pandey explained how a court-imposed fine on petitioners would operate the PIL system.
Judges’ Experience in Handling Contentious Situations
Later, the CJI stated that although cases may occasionally go out of hand and lead to contentious discussions between the parties and justices, the judges of the Supreme Court were experienced and understood how to handle these kinds of scenarios.
Justice Abhay S. Oka’s Bench
Earlier in the day, two courts, including a bench led by Justice Abhay S. Oka, chastised Pandey. The bench, led by Justice Oka, scolded Pandey for failing to pay the ₹50,000 in fees that were imposed on him for entering a “meritless” plea and ordered him to do so in two weeks.
Emphasis on Thorough Preparation by Chief Justice Chandrachud
Chief Justice Chandrachud urged the petitioner to “padho bhai!” (please study), emphasizing the need of thorough preparation. The court’s ruling demonstrates its dedication to making sure that only competent people are admitted to the bar, protecting the standard of legal services provided in India.
