SC should never be chief justice-centric court: CJI Gavai

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai on Wednesday said the Supreme Court should never be a "chief justice-centric court" as the chief justice was only the first among equals.

The CJI also said he has always considered the bar and the bench to be "equal stakeholders" in the institution of administration of justice.

He was speaking at a function organised here by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to felicitate him.

"I believe that the chief justice is only the first among equals and the Supreme Court should never be a chief justice-centric court," the CJI said.

He said the apex court has to be a court of all the judges and members of the bar.

"And therefore, I believe in a democratic functioning. So whatever decisions we take are the decisions of the full court," he said.

The CJI said the apex court has had the highest number of disposals during the partial working days from May 26 to July 11 in the last so many years.

The top court had rechristened its traditional summer vacations as "partial court working days" this year.

"I must say that with the cooperation of all of you and my colleagues, we have had the highest number of disposals during partial working days in the last so many years," the CJI said in his address.

He said the members of the bar have always given him a lot of love and affection.

"As a matter of fact, I have always considered the bar and the bench to be equal stakeholders in the institution of administration of justice," the CJI said, adding they were like two wheels of a golden chariot of the institution of administration of justice.

Justice Gavai, who also recalled days when he was a judge of the Bombay High Court, said whenever he got an opportunity to be the chairman of infrastructure and building committee, he took decision that whenever new buildings were to be constructed, the president and secretary of the bar association would be part of the panel which would finalise the plans.

He said this was done so that needs of the bar members as well as that of the litigants coming to the court, including those who are specially abled, were taken into consideration.

"I will not promise you anything but on behalf of all my colleagues, I can only assure that we will look at all the demands in a positive manner and we will always consider that the bar is an equal stakeholder," the CJI told the bar members.

Attorney General R Venkataramani and SCBA president Vikas Singh also addressed the gathering.