Unfortunately, truth decay is spreading into court proceedings: Singapore CJ Menon

Addressing a gathering at the 73rd anniversary of the Supreme Court of India, Chief Justice of Singapore Supreme Court Sundaresh Menon highlighted various global challenges that the world's judiciary may be facing or may face in future.

Chief Justice of Singapore Supreme Court Sundaresh Menon on Saturday said that unfortunately, truth decay is spreading into court proceedings. Addressing a gathering at the 73rd anniversary of the Supreme Court of India, Chief Justice of Singapore Supreme Court Sundaresh Menon highlighted various global challenges that the world's judiciary may be facing or may face in future.

Among them, one set of challenges emerges from truth decay, Justice Menon said, adding that truth decay refers to the "proliferation of misinformation and devaluation of truth which attacks the justice system." Justice Menon said that the devaluation of truth affects the justice system as it is the foundation for the justice system. Justice Menon expressed concern about truth decay and said, "if it is not controlled then the court's rulings become another voice in an endless clamour of opinions on the merits of a dispute. He opined that it is essential that the findings of courts are accepted in the public sphere as generally reflecting the truth."

During his nearly one-hour address, Singapore's top court's Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon also said that the Supreme Court of India is among the busiest courts in the world and its justices are among the hardest working judges because of the immense caseload they carry. Delivering a lecture on "The Role of the Judiciary in a Changing World", Singapore's top court's Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said that the judiciary needs legitimacy to function well and it needs public confidence.

Highlighting the six global challenges that would give rise to new legal issues, he said some of the challenges would first be political, but almost all of them would have legal dimensions. He also pointed out that disputes are also becoming increasingly complex and there are two facets, technical complexity and evidential complexity. He said that the complexification of disputes gives rise to the possibility of cases making it too difficult for any single human adjudicator to process. He also spoke on the fact that legal issues increasingly disregard jurisdiction boundaries due to becoming more economically interconnected than ever before.

Singapore's top court's Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon stressed that judges increasingly need to be sensitive to developments in foreign laws to properly decide disputes. He also said that baseless allegations diminished the standing of judgements and courts, ultimately undermining the stabilising judicial work.

While concluding his speech, Chief Justice Menon said, "if the judiciary fails, it will lead to a break the rule of law. But if the judiciary is successful, they will help to guide their societies through the tempest." (ANI)

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