In a virtual conference, the Supreme Court Judge Justice D Y Chandrachud said that Criminal laws like anti-terror legislation should not be misused for quelling dissent or for harassment of citizens.
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| Justice D Y Chandrachud |
The conference was hosted by the American Bar Association with the Society of Indian Law Firms and Charted Institute of Arbitrators on Monday. He said that Supreme Court “plays the role of counter-majoritarian institute” and it’s the responsibility of the court to protect the rights of socioeconomic minorities. Refereeing to the case of Arnab Goswami vs the State of Maharashtra & Ors, he stated that courts must ensure that they remain the first line of defense against the deprivation of liberty of all the citizens because deprivation of liberty even for a single day is detrimental. “we must always be mindful of the deeper systemic implications of our decisions”, he further stated. “As the guardian of the constitution, it (Supreme court) has to put break where the executive or legislative actions infringe fundamental human rights”, Justice Chandrachud said.
