PTI file photo
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday said judicial leadership suffers when judges pretend to be perfect, highlighting that judges and judicial institutions must remain capable of growth, correction and improvement.He was delivering the keynote address at the opening of the 11th biennial meeting of the Commonwealth Judicial Educators (CJEs).”In my opinion, while that view flatters the institution, it does not serve it. Judicial leadership does not suffer because judges are imperfect; it suffers when we pretend they are not,” the CJI added. The Chief Justice of India also called for a radical shift in how judicial leadership is understood, proposing the creation of a ‘Commonwealth Apex Body’ to integrate judicial education, the Bar and the bench across member nations.Referring to the event’s theme, “Educating for Judicial Leadership,” Justice Surya Kant said it is “timely,” mentioning that judges have long been viewed as fully formed and perfected once appointed.”Humility, in that sense, has never been a personal virtue alone; it has been a professional safeguard. And I believe this important tool must be taught to every judicial officer, without exception,” he said, as cited by PTI. The CJI said the most respected judicial leaders in history did not claim perfection but remained aware of their limitations, open to learning and alert to the possibility of error.He said the role of judges requires not just “mastery of precedent” but also the “agility to interpret the law” to meet contemporary demands of justice.Calling for a “more honest premise” in educating judicial leadership, he added that judges, like the institutions they lead, are capable of growth, correction and improvement.“Across our vast community of nations – spanning continents, cultures and legal traditions – the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI) guides judges to become more than mere interpreters of law, moulds them into wise custodians of justice, equipped to navigate the moral and technical challenges of a world-order in flux,” CJI Kant said. He praised the CJEI for connecting judicial educators, fostering peer learning, and helping jurisdictions learn from one another while preserving their unique legal and institutional contexts.
