To attack a system is easy, what's difficult is to transform it: Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra reacts to judges' revolt

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has seemingly responded to the controversy over the revolt by senior judges of the top court. Speaking at an Independence Day event in New Delhi, Justice Misra called for constructive steps to reform a system that is perceived to have problems.

He did not however directly address the revolt against his leadership of the Supreme Court by Justices J Chelameswar, Kurian Joseph, Ranjan Gogoi and Madan Lokur. The four judges had alleged in an unprecedented press conference in January that the fate of India's judiciary had been put in peril by discrepancies in the functioning of the top court.

"To criticise, attack and destroy a system is quite easy. What is difficult and challenging is to transform it into a performing one. For this, one has to transcend one's personal ambitions or grievances," CJI Misra said on Wednesday, reported news agency ANI.

"Constructive steps need to be taken with a positive mindset. Concrete reforms must be undertaken with rationality, maturity, responsibility and composure. It is necessary to be productive instead of being counter-productive. Only then can the institution can go to greater heights," he added.

His remarks came at the Independence Day celebration organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, which also saw Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in attendance. This was the first time he seemingly reacted publicly to the controversy that erupted over the judiciary in January.

The four judges who raised the banner of revolt against CJI Misra had alleged that cases were being selectively allotted to particular judges, especially those cases which might be deemed sensitive.

The judges also released a letter they said they had written on the matter to the Chief Justice, and said while the changes they recommended had been implemented, it had been done in a way that raised further questions.