Judges are not elected but have a stabilising influence; people now come to us for a voice and not outcomes: CJI DY Chandrachud

Judges are not elected and do not go back to people after every five years but judiciary has a stabilising influence in a democracy especially in a plural country like India, Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said on Monday..He was speaking at the 3rd Comparative Constitutional Law discussion co-hosted by Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC and Society for Democratic Rights (SDR), New Delhi on the topic Perspectives from the Supreme Courts of India and the United States on Monday.The conversation was held physically for the first time at the Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC, USA.In response to the question about collegium appointments and how judges function in India, the CJI said,"Judges are not elected and we do not go back to people every five years seeking votes and there is a reason. Judiciary is a stabilising influence in the evolution of society which is now so rapidly evolving with technology and we represent in the sense the voice of something that must subsist beyond the vicissitudes of time. In that ability of the courts to have stabilising force, we have role to play in the context of the plural society that is in India," he said.The CJI further stated that courts today have become focal point of engagement for the civil society and social transformation and people now approach courts "not just for outcomes but for a voice in constitutional change.""By giving people the platform, courts are performing a vital function and why are people increasingly coming for voicing aspirations and to bring about change. We are as much the institution of governance.. we are bound by separation of power but still we are becoming areas where people come to vent to their expressions in areas such as climate change, human rights, social welfare. Courts have the stabilising effect where the winds of change are working rather fast because when thunderstorms are approaching and there are clouds across global societies and this interconnected societies ensure that we do not live like nation in silos. Courts have a vital role to play in steadying the ship when so much is happening all around in our societies," said the CJI.The CJI also defended his minority judgment in the recent same-sex marriage case..[Watch full event below]