‘Heart-warming action…’: Kiren Rijiju lauds CJI Chandrachud’s order

Union law minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday praised Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud for the Supreme Court’s recent decision to issue an interim order, allowing a candidate who suffers from writer’s cramp to use a scribe during his preliminary examination for the recruitment of civil judges in Uttarakhand.

A writer’s cramp is a condition that affects a person’s ability to write due to task-specific movement disorders, causing abnormal postures and unwanted muscle spasms that impede motor performance.

“This is such a heart-warming action by hon’ble Chief Justice Dr D Y Chandrachud. A great relief to a divyang (person with disability) candidate who sought a scribe for the Judicial Service exam in Uttarakhand,” Rijiju tweeted.

Timely justice to a deserving person is “very satisfying”, the Union minister said, sharing a screenshot of a tweet posted by the lawyer of the candidate who had approached the Supreme Court.

The candidate, Dhananjay Kumar, had moved the apex court, saying his request to the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC) for a scribe was rejected on April 20, days ahead of the scheduled exam.

Advocate Namit Saxena, representing Dhananjay Kumar, requested the court to grant him permission to use a scribe during his examination for the recruitment of civil judges in Uttarakhand. Kumar suffers from writer’s cramp, and he submitted a medical certificate from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, dated September 25, 2017, to support his request.

The bench, comprising CJI Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha, acknowledged Saxena’s submission and issued a notice to the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC) and the Uttarakhand government. The notice questioned why Kumar’s request for a scribe had been rejected and directed them to respond by May 12.

“We issue an ad interim direction to the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, which is in-charge of conducting the examination, to ensure that a scribe is provided to the petitioner for the ensuing examination…” the bench said.

Rijiju’s praise comes amid the ongoing Centre versus Supreme Court on several issues. Recently, Rijiju had taken a dig at retired judges as he said a few retired judges who are part of the anti-India gang are trying to make the Indian judiciary play the role of the opposition.

Chandrachud had said there was no pressure from the government on the judiciary and no one in his career of 23 years as a judge told him how to decide a case. Commenting on Rijiju’s open disapproval of the Collegium system, the CJI said the Collegium is the best system available for the appointment of judges.