Judges Must Exercise Power With Humility & Responsibility To Uphold Public Faith: CJI BR Gavai

Chief Justice of India Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai on Saturday emphasised that judges must exercise their power with humility and responsibility while addressing the 10th All India Conference of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), 2025.

“As judicial officers, as judges, as members of the tribunal, we wield immense power but we must carry this power with the utmost humility and responsibility. All litigants who appear before us do so with the faith that they will receive justice before us and our judgement should not be coloured. Everyone should honour this responsibility not just within the official spaces but outside as well. In many ways our roles are those of a leader. We shape the lives of several thousands of citizens through the outcomes that we determine. We also affect the faith of the citizens in the country's judiciary”, he said.

In his address, Justice Gavai raised concerns about the conduct of judicial and quasi-judicial officers. He noted the eligibility criteria for appearing in the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) examination had been revised to require three years of practice because data from all states and High Courts showed that fresh graduates without experience often let the “chair go to their head” on the very first day and browbeat lawyers with 40 or 50 years of standing.

This rule, he explained, was reinstated to ensure candidates gain exposure to court practice and procedure before becoming judges.

He pointed to a recent news report in which a young lawyer in a High Court became unconscious after being browbeaten by a judge. He cited this incident to highlight the discontent in the Bar due to the conduct of some judges.

Justice Gavai said unless both lawyers and judges work together, the administration of justice for the citizens of the country cannot function properly.

“As judges we must also accept the position that both judges as well as the lawyers are like to wheels of the golden chariot of Justice. None superior none inferior. Unless the lawyers and the judges work together the institution of administration of justice which exists for the last citizen of the country cannot function properly.”

Quoting Martin Luther King's speech 'The Birth of a New Age', Justice Gavai said –

“We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity. Leaders who can subject their particular egos to the pressing urgencies of the great cause of freedom.”

He urged judges to treat his remarks not as criticism but as opportunity for collective reflection and innovation to strengthen the tribunal system.