Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Saturday shared an incident where he was subjected to trolling and online abuse for what he termed a “misrepresented action” during a court hearing.
CJI Chandrachud recounted a recent episode where a video of a live stream from his court was doctored to portray him in a negative light. The video, he clarified, suggested that he had left the hearing abruptly while a counsel was still presenting arguments. However, he clarified that the reality was far from what the footage depicted.
“Just four or five days ago when I was hearing a case, I had a little pain in back, so all that I did was I placed my elbows in my armchair in the court and I just shifted my position in the chair,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.
The misrepresented video led to what he described as “vicious trolling and knives were out.”
“What they didn’t tell you was that all he did was only to shift his position in the chair. 24 years of judging can be a little strenuous which I have put in. I didn’t leave the court. I only shifted my position but I was subject to vicious abuse, trolling, the knives were out but I do believe that our shoulders are broad enough and the ultimate confidence that we have is of common citizens in the work which we do,” he added.
The Chief Justice’s comments came during the 21st Biennial State Level Conference of Judicial Officers titled, “Equity and Excellence for Futuristic Judiciary”, organised by the Karnataka State Judicial Officer’s Association.
Chief Justice Chandrachud then highlighted the importance of judicial officers ensuring work-life balance and effectively managing stress.
“The ability to manage stress and achieve work life balance is not separate from but rather intertwined with delivering justice completely. We often tell physicians and surgeons, ‘heal thyself’. Before you heal others, you must learn how to heal yourself. The same is true about judges as well,” he said.