JUSTICE KAPADIA AS CJI - AS I SEE HIM

[NPradhan]

On the eve of swearing-in as Chief Justice of India, Justice Kapadia, made a statement which made me feel as if I read something in the news papers to my delight after ages! The statement was; ”Integrity is the earning of my life .......”.

I was really delighted to read such a statement from the would be Chief Justice of India, since apart from the saints, we seldom hear statements of this nature from people of the CJI's stature! It reminded me of an interview with Mr. T. N. Seshan, the former EC of India, wherein he was giving the data regarding his salary, assets and dependents which precisely conveyed that he was honest and never involved in bribery. As a man who was never involved in bribery, what great things he did as CEC is well known to all Indians.

The statement of Justice Kapadia means that he himself has never been involved in ‘corruption and/or bribery’ and as per my analysis, this ‘corruption and or bribery’ form the main stem of the problem tree of India. So justice Kapadia’s statement made me to believe that here is the man who can definitely hit the stem the problem tree hard and be instrumental in weakening it for the delight of his fellow countrymen.

I can predict, during his tenure as the CJI, Supreme Court would become an institution as famous and loving as the EC became during Mr. Seshan’s tenure. He will find ways, as per the prevailing norms to speed up justice. All courts shall see the increase in speed of the justice too. The traditional corrupt and /or bribe takers shall reform themselves or soon find themselves under the book.

I was trying to read his face from the photograph. As per my reading, he is a naturally fearless man whose fearlessness is spontaneous and he is disturbed by the information about the corruption and/or bribery in India. He does not want to do some thing to be famous and is cautious about the strength and spread of the corruption and/or bribery. But he knows and believes in the strength of the law which is ineffective till now due to lack of a solid tradition. I hope he is going to establish one for the rule of the law too.