Speakingontheoccasion,thePresidentcongratulatedtheChiefJusticeofIndiaandothercompanion

JudgesfororganizingtheRetreatwhichwillprovideaforumtodiscusscontemporarychallengesthat
thecountryfacestodayalongwithglobalandtransnationalelementsoflegaldisputesandadjudication.
Hesaiddiscussionandreflectionofthisnatureisimportant,aswellasnecessary,toenableJudges
keeppacewithtimesandbeabletodeliverfairandeffectivejusticeinarapidlychangingworld.
ThePresidentsaidJudiciary,whichisoneofthethreeimportantpillarsofourdemocracy,isthefinal
interpreteroftheConstitutionandlaws.Ithelpsinmaintainingthesocialorderbyswiftlyandeffectively
dealingwiththoseonthewrongsideofthelaw.AsanupholderoftheRuleofLawandenforcerofthe
righttoliberty,theroleoftheJudiciaryissacrosanct.Thefaithandconfidencepeoplehavereposedin
theJudiciarymustalwaysbemaintained.Forjusticetohavemeaningtothepeople,itmustbe
accessible,affordableandquick.
ThePresidentsaidwehaveawrittenConstitutioninIndia,whichisalivingdocument,notareliccastin
stone.Itisamagnacartaofsocioeconomictransformation.TheApexCourtofIndiahascontinuously
beeninterpretingthemandateforgoodgovernanceenshrinedintheConstitutiononthealtarof
contemporarysituationsandchallengesfacingthecountry,whetherduetoglobalwindsofchangeor
fromwithin.Thishasnotbeenmerelyanexerciseininterpretationoflawsorlegalorder,muchlessan
exerciseinedifyingjurisprudenceithascapturedtheethosofourdevelopingsocietyasithasevolved
fromthecolonialshacklestoasocialorderrepletewiththeessenceofhumandignity,ofaspirationsofa
populacematuringintoasovereign,socialist,secular,democraticrepublicasmandatedbythemakers
ofourConstitution.
ThePresidentsaidgiventhecircumstancesofourdevelopingcountry,ourjudiciaryhasenlargedthe
scopeofjustice.Fortheenforcementoffundamentalrights,theSupremeCourtthroughjudicial
innovationandactivismhasexpandedthecommonlawprincipleoflocusstandi.Ithasbeenmade
possibleforcourtstopermitanyonewithsufficientinterestandactingbonafidetomaintainanactionfor
judicialredress,andtoactivatethejudicialprocess.Inthesupportofrights,courtshavefoundapost
cardornewspaperarticletobematerialenoughtosetoffjudicialaction.Thishashelpedtobring
justiceclosertothecommonman.Heemphasizedthatatthesametime,judicialactivismshouldnot
leadtothedilutionofseparationofpowers.Eachorganofourdemocracymustfunctionwithinitsown
sphereandmustnottakeoverwhatisassignedtotheothers.Thebalanceofpowerbetweenthethree
organsofthestateisenshrinedinourConstitution.TheConstitutionissupreme.Theequilibriuminthe
exerciseofauthoritymustbemaintainedatalltimes.
ThePresidentsaidquickdeliveryofjusticeissinequanonforefficientjurisprudence.Justicedelayedis
justicedenied.Justiceshouldbespeedy,accessibleandaffordable.OurCourtsaretoday
overburdenedonaccountofthelargenumberofcasespendingbeforethem.Thependencyofcasesis
alsodependentuponthenumberofvacanciesinthecourts.Hecomplimentedtheuntiringeffortsmade
bytheChiefJusticeofIndiatospeedilyfillupthevacanciesintheHighCourtsandtheSupremeCourt.
HesaidsincetheassumptionofworkofCollegiumfromthefirstweekofJanuary,2016total145
appointmentsweremadeason12.4.2016.ThisshowsthespeedwithwhichtheCollegiumisnow
functioning.HeaskedtheJudgestocontinuetomaintainthetempo.