Why colonial system still prevail in Indian judiciary? Senior advocate V Raghunath pitches for reforms

Hyderabad: Calling for reforms in the judiciary, senior advocate and former president of Telangana High Court Advocates Association (THCAA) Verose Raghunath demanded that people be given a right to question.

Raghunath was delivering a lecture on Criminal Law and Section 41A CrPC at a function organized by Ranga Reddy District Court Bar Association at LB Nagar, Hyderabad.

He said the government and the state want to maintain the status quo. “There are rights in every section of law. Right is nothing but a demand of the people. We need the right to question,” he said.

Raghunath asked why is there a majestic structure for the judges. “Why should Judges be crowned? In Western countries, the structure of the judicial system has entirely changed. In the US and in Great Britain, the people have changed the structure of the judiciary,” he said.

He said once a judge sits on the crown, he stops thinking like a common man. “It amounts to the deprivation of justice. For changes and reforms in the judiciary, the lawyers have to fight,” Raghunath said.

“In the modern judiciary, judges can also be on par with the lawyers. Why this colonial system still prevails? Why do the Judges enter the Court from the back side? Though in the functions and parties, judges put aside the colonial system and participate like a common man. Why should the colonial system be in the judiciary? We all have to fight against this. The elected representatives like PM, CMs, and Ministers are sitting among the people, “ he stated.

He said the judiciary is nonmajoritarian and nonrepresentative. “Non-majoritarianism does not require such structural hierarchy. These are all made by the colonial system, we must change, “Raghunath avers.

“Nowadays, the language is a big tool in the judiciary. Recently, the Telangana High Court judge, Justice Naveen Rao, before his retirement, gave a judgment in the Telugu language,” he said.

He asked why advocates do not start writing bail applications in vernacular language. “Why don't the lawyers argue the cases in Telugu?” he asked.

He said if the draft in the Telugu language is rejected by the court, it will become a big issue. “Then you will appeal in the High Court claiming how the judiciary, the High Court Registrar passed the Judgment in Telugu language,” he said. He urged the lawyers to argue matters in the Telugu language

RR District Bar Association President D. Ravichander, General Secretary P. Madhava Reddy, JS C. Ramchander, Bar Association representatives, lawyers, and lady advocates participated.