Judge Chandrachud reportedly “yelled at” lead counsel Vikas Singh “in a loud voice”.
New Delhi:
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud lost his temper in court today and ordered a lawyer to walk away amid heated words about listing a petition.
According to reports, “Judge Chandrachud yelled at senior counsel Vikas Singh, who was asking the Supreme Court to move forward with a land-related case for the Supreme Court Counsel.
The Chief Justice snapped angrily, “Shut up. Get out of this court immediately.
Vikas Singh, President of the Bar of the Supreme Court, has urged a hearing on a petition from the Bar to use land allotted to the Supreme Court for a bar block for barristers. Lawyers have struggled to get the case listed for the past six months, he said.
“You can’t ask for a country like that. Are you telling us the day we sit idle all day?” remarked Judge Chandrachud.
Mr Singh threatened to kick the Chief Justice on the doorstep. “I’m not saying you sit idle all day. I’m just trying to list the matter. If it doesn’t get done, I’ll have to escalate and take it to your lordships’ residence. I don’t want to take the bar like that,” he said.
“Don’t threaten the Chief Justice. Is that a way of behaving?” Judge Chandrachud shot back.
“I am the Chief Justice. I’ve been here since March 29, 2000. I have been in this profession for 22 years. I have never been intimidated by a member of the Bar, a litigant, or anyone else. I’m not going to do that for the last two years of my career.”
The Chief Justice continued, “You will be treated as an ordinary litigant. Please don’t force my hand to do anything you don’t want it to.”
During the sharp back-and-forth, Judge Chandrachud even asked the attorney not to raise his voice.
Mr Singh said he had a “strong feeling” about the issue as lawyers had been waiting for chambers for 20 years. “Just because the bar isn’t doing anything doesn’t mean it should be taken for granted,” he said.
“Please don’t raise your voice. This is not the way to act as President of SCBA. They are demanding that land allotted to the Supreme Court be turned over to the Bar Association. I have made my decision. She will be hit on the 17th and it will not be the first on board,” the Chief Justice said.
According to one report, senior attorneys Kapil Sibal and NK Kaul later apologized to the Chief Justice on behalf of the Bar Association.
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