Maneesh Chhibber 
New Delhi: Days after the Supreme Court brought in several changes, many of which have attracted criticism and scrutiny, including redesigning the ‘Lady Justice’ statue, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has questioned the move.
The new statue, which traditionally depicted a blindfolded woman and a sword, now features her with open eyes and the constitution in place of the sword.
In a strongly-worded letter to outgoing Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, who spearheaded the move, the SCBA has taken exception to the ‘unilateral’ decisions.
“It has been observed by the Executive Committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association that recently some radical changes have been brought in by the Supreme Court unilaterally like change of its emblem, change in the statue of Lady Justice without consultation with the Bar. We are equal stakeholders in the administration of justice but these changes when proposed, were never brought to our attention. We are totally clueless on the rationale behind these changes,” the resolution passed by the SCBA says.
Led by Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, the SCBA has also questioned the Supreme Court’s decision to set up a museum to replace the erstwhile Judges’ Library.
When contacted, Sibal confirmed the development. A copy of the resolution, sources said, has already been sent to the CJI.
“Now a museum has apparently been proposed in the erstwhile Judges Library whereas we had demanded a Library, Cafe cum Lounge for the members of the Bar as the present cafeteria is inadequate to cater to the needs of the members of the Bar. We are concerned that despite our objection raised against the proposed Museum in the erstwhile Judges library, work has started for the museum,” the resolution signed by almost all SCBA Executive Committee members says.
It adds: “We unanimously oppose the proposed museum in the High Security Zone and press our demand for a Library and a Cafe cum Lounge for our members instead.”
“The law is not blind; it sees everyone equally,” CJI Chandrachud had said during the unveiling of the new statue.
A senior official in the CJI’s office had explained the rationale behind the replacement of the sword with the constitution by saying, “The sword is a symbol of violence, but courts deliver justice according to constitutional laws. The new statue aims to reflect this principle.”
Former SCBA president and senior advocate Adish C. Aggarwala said the outgoing CJI should have consulted all stakeholders before taking such a decision.
In the last few weeks, the CJI, whose term ends on November 10, has attracted criticism for his controversial statements and actions outside court.
Last week, speaking at an event, CJI Chandrachud claimed that the hand of God guided him in finding a solution to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.
“Very often we have cases [to adjudicate] but we don’t arrive at a solution,” he said, adding, “Something similar happened during the Ayodhya [Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid] dispute which was in front of me for three months. I sat before the deity and told him he needed to find a solution.”
As first reported by The Wire, the CJI also tried, unsuccessfully, to get the Supreme Court collegium to recommend the name of a senior advocate to fill the lone vacancy in the Supreme Court. In attempting to do so, he apparently also delayed recommending the name of Justice Sanjiv Khanna as his successor as CJI.