"We do meet but that doesn't mean some deal is cracked": Chief Justice Chandrachud throws clarity on judges meeting heads of governments

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said that the top brass of the judiciary and the executive are not meeting to make any deal. "People think that deals are going on. But that's not the way it is. The meeting is for administrative and social matters in the judiciary. I don't discuss my work as a judge. The judges are working independently in this regard

"We do meet but that doesn't mean that there is some deal cracked. We have to be in dialogue with the Chief Minister (CM) of the State because they will have to provide budgets for the Judiciary. And this budget is not for the judges. If we do not meet and only rely on letters our work won't be done. But when we meet, trust me, there's a great deal of maturity in the political system and in those meetings, never in my experience, would a CM speak about a pending case," the CJI said while participating in a lecture series organised by the University of Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the official residence of the Chief Justice of India on the occasion of Vinayaka Chaturthi and performed a puja. The Chief Justice's explanation is in this context also.

"Discussions with the government will be required. It is for the progress of the country. It is customary for the heads of the central government and the Supreme Court to hold consultations. States also have that tradition. When I was the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, I had met the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in connection with the construction of the Lucknow bench building. We don't talk about the cases pending before the court." The CJI said the judiciary and the executive are showing a high level of maturity in this regard.