Climate change cannot be ignored, says CJI

New Delhi: Flagging recent heat waves followed by heavy rainfall in Delhi, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud on Tuesday said climate change cannot be ignored and stressed the need to adopt a “green lifestyle” to reduce carbon emissions.

“This year, Delhi experienced the hottest-recorded weather. We have experienced two heatwaves followed by record-breaking rain in a single day. Our infrastructure must reflect the reality we live in -- climate change can no longer be ignored. “One crucial step is to incorporate a green lifestyle into our daily lives, which includes reducing carbon emissions,” he said.

The CJI referred to an 18th-century case, in which one Rama Kamati’s servant was subjected to custodial torture to confess his employer’s criminality. Even Kamati was convicted in the case and he later died in prison. “Our legal and constitutional system is fundamentally premised on the virtues of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Courts are the guardian of these foundational virtues. We uphold them by enforcing rights-based substantive laws and fairness-based procedural laws,” Justice Chandrachud said, adding that in that case, it later came to light that the evidence against the convict was fabricated.

“The story of Rama Kamati is a reminder that rough, ready and handy justice is an anathema to the rule of law and procedural guarantees, which we have all come to cherish. The foundation of a court must be sound -- both in its structural and philosophical capacity. It must subserve no might but the Constitution and be in service of no one but the litigants,” he said. The CJI said courts are not merely sights of sovereign power but are also essential public service providers. Laying down the foundation stone, he said, “Court premises, like all buildings, are not just made of bricks and concrete. They are made up of hope. Courts are made to realise the virtues of justice and the rule of law. Every case that is being filed before us is with that hope for justice. When we invest in the safety, accessibility and comfort of our judges, lawyers and litigants, we build more than just an efficient system -- we make a just and inclusive system.”