With the political class struggling after a sensational discovery of a huge amount of cash at the official residence of Justice Yashwant Verma, CJI Br Gavai said that examples of corruption and misconduct in the judiciary adversely affect public trust in the judicial system.Speaking on the subject of ‘maintaining judicial validity and public belief’ in the UK Supreme Court, CJI Gawai said, “Sadly, there are examples of corruption and misconduct which have emerged within the judiciary. Such incidents essentially negatively impact public belief, possibly eradicate faith in the integrity of the system.” CJI did not mention Justice Verma, but the legal and judicial quarters almost unanimously stated that the ‘Cash-at-Kothi’ scam could be triggered for his clear comments. The CJI said, “The path of reconstruction of this trust lies in Swift, decisive and transparent action to address these issues,” the CJI said that they emphasized that the validity and public confidence in the judiciary could not be protected through command (contempt proceedings), but through the courts earned by the court. He said, “Any erosion of this confidence weakens the constitutional role of the judiciary as the last mediator of rights,” he said. The CJI said that every system, no matter how strong it is, was susceptible to professional misconduct. “In India, SC has taken constant measures to address misconduct,” he said.
