Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar accused the lower judiciary of disregarding judgements of higher courts saying that some of the orders themselves were illegal.
Parrikar, who himself was at the receiving end of a JMFC order directing he, as Home Mininster be booked and investigated for the death of a prisoner for food poisoning, said that he would ensure proper orientation of the lower judiciary.
“It is disturbing that in disregard to the provisions of law which have been held to be mandatory and in sheer disregard to the judgements of the High Courts/Supreme Court, some orders are passed, paying scant respect to the provisions of law,” Parrikar said speaking during a discussion in the Monsoon Session of the Goa legislative Assembly.
He said that his “Government cannot countenance such a position and would not be a mute spectator to such illegality”. “We cannot certainly watch the trampling of Constitutional distribution of powers,” Parrikar said adding that and that his Government would bring the same to the notice of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as well as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
“After going through all these judgments and different legal stands taken by various magistrates, I personally feel there is a need to re-orient the judicial officers so that reasoned and judicious verdicts are pronounced and the faith of the common man remains intact,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister, who has a history of criticising the the functioning of courts as well as the National Green Tribunal, offered his comments on a day he also accused rogue NGOs of making use of lower judiciary for extortion.
Parrikar comments come at a time when Chief Justice of India RM lodha has warned ruling politicians against encroaching judicial space, a day after the Parliament passed a Bill for setting up a new system for appointment of judges.