Ex CJ: Judges do make political choices

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: Former Chief Justice of the Odisha High Court, Justice S. Muralidhar, has expressed concern that politics and the functioning of the judiciary are becoming increasingly intertwined, placing judges in situations where they must make "political decisions."

Speaking at a discussion during the launch of a book, the Justice said, “Many issues coming to court are political issues dressed as legal issues. Judges do make political choices. They may think they are being neutral. Politics and judicial functioning are not as separate as we want them to be. What we wear, what we eat, what we speak – they are all becoming constitutional issues now and judges are being forced to make a choice, and make that choice in public,” Livelaw quoted Justice Muralidhar as saying.

The trend of merging politics with judiciary raises queries regarding division of powers and responsibility of judges in interpreting the Constitution.

In a landscape where the boundaries between law and politics are growing hazy, Justice Muralidhar's comments underscore the necessity for a more profound exploration of the judiciary's role.