File Photo: Chief Justice of India HL Dattu.
Chief Justice of India HL Dattu has called the controversy over holding a judges' conference on Good Friday "avoidable" adding that the issue "will be settled within the family." He was reacting to the, now public, letters written by Supreme Court judge - Justice Kurian Joseph - objecting to the Conference of Chief Justices of High courts being held on a holy day.
Justice Dattu told NDTV, "I am the head of the family and in our family if one member questions me, we will settle it ourselves. It should not go out of the family."
Previously, Justice Joseph, in his letters to the Chief Justice of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had said, "no important programmes are held during sacred and auspicious days... though we have holidays during that period as well."
On April 1, Justice Joseph wrote to Prime Minister Modi, declining his dinner invitation for Saturday evening. He said, "I request your Honour to kindly have in mind these concerns also while scheduling events and benevolently show equal importance and respect to the sacred days of all religions which are also declared as National holidays."
On March 8, Justice Joseph wrote to Justice Dattu, saying, "Such an important conference shouldn't have been held when some of us, who are otherwise expected to be part of the event, are otherwise committed on account of the holy days when we have religious ceremonies.
The conference, which was held over three days in Delhi, is a closed door affair. It was attended by top three Supreme Court judges and 24 Chief Justices of High Courts from across the country. Participation by other judges is voluntary. Of the total 28 Supreme Court judges, half attended the conference.
Speaking at a joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said, "A common man looks up to the judiciary. If a politician makes a mistake, people turn towards judiciary. So there needs to an internal mechanism to address differences within judiciary."