NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India N V Ramana has thrown cold water on introducing the local languages in the High Courts in near future.After Prime Minister Modi advocated use of the local languages in the higher judiciary while inaugurating a day-long conference of the chief ministers and chief justices of the High Courts at Vigyan Bhawan here on Saturday, CJI Ramana was gung-ho to state that the time has come now to revisit the demand and take it to logical conclusions. He even stressed in his speech that mere proficiency in English is not enough as it requires intelligence and understanding of the law.
He, however, changed the tack at a press conference held at the end of the same day, saying he does not see any prospects in near future to allow use of local languages in the High Courts.
“That is possible only in future if the artificial intelligence develops enough to convey the crux of arguments in the local languages to the judges,” he stressed.
The High Court chief justices endorsed his view, noting that the proceedings in the High Courts are conducted only in English since many judges posted from other states may not understand the local language.
They said any attempt to switch over to proceedings in the local language would mean appointment of the judges only from the same state and not across any court in the country. Today, the High Court judges are picked up from anywhere in the country and that ensures local pressure does not work on the judges, they said.
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