Chief Justice of India BR Gavai Comments on Misinterpretation of Judicial Remarks on Social Media

Chief Justice of India BR Gavai today made a light-hearted remark highlighting how judicial comments are often misrepresented on social media platforms, leading to misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

Speaking during the hearing of the All India Judges Association case, CJI Gavai recounted an incident where he had advised his brother, Justice K Vinod Chandran, to refrain from making certain open observations during a case related to judicial service promotions. Concerned about how such remarks could be distorted on social media, the Chief Justice humorously said, “My learned brother had something to comment, I stopped him from expressing it, when we were hearing the Dheeraj Mor case. Otherwise, on this social media, we don’t know what will be reported. I requested my learned brother to restrict it only to my ears.”

The bench, comprising CJI BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, was hearing arguments concerning the lack of promotion opportunities for judicial officers. The Chief Justice’s comments underscore the challenges faced by the judiciary in ensuring that sensitive judicial observations are not taken out of context or sensationalized by online platforms.

Earlier, CJI Gavai had expressed concerns regarding the misinterpretation of his remarks in a case about a dilapidated Lord Vishnu idol at a Khajuraho temple, which were widely misconstrued on social media.

In a similar vein, during a public event in June this year, the Chief Justice flagged the problem of out-of-context reporting of oral comments by judges. He noted an incident where a colleague’s advice to a junior counsel about “court craft and soft skills” was misreported as, “Our ego is very fragile; if you offend it, your case will go out.”

Meanwhile, the bench referred the matter concerning the career stagnation of young judicial officers—who face limited promotional avenues in judicial service to a 5-judge Constitution bench. The bench is tasked with examining the structural issues that hinder the progress of entry-level judicial officers.

Case Title: All India Judges Association and Others v. Union of India and Others