Verdicts Must Stand: Justice Nagarathna Defends Judicial Integrity

Justice BV Nagarathna emphasized the importance of respecting judicial verdicts and criticized the trend of overturning judgements due to bench changes. Speaking at an event, she stressed that decisions, once rendered, should remain steadfast to maintain judicial integrity and public confidence. Recent Supreme Court reversals spotlight this issue.

Justice BV Nagarathna, a Supreme Court judge, highlighted concerns over the dismissal of verdicts due to changes in judicial benches during the International Convention on the Independence of the Judiciary. She argued for the stability of judgements to ensure legal integrity.

Recent reversals, including the Supreme Court's decision to lift a ban on retrospective environmental clearances and uphold JSW Steel's acquisition of Bhushan Power, illustrate the issue. Justice Nagarathna emphasized that the judicial system's credibility depends on respecting established verdicts.

Addressing the need for consistency, she stressed the judiciary's role in governance and the rule of law. The Supreme Court's concerns over repeated verdict reversals further underscore the importance of maintaining judicial finality for public confidence.

(With inputs from agencies.)