JUDGES-LD KURIAN

No need for outside intervention: Justice Joseph No need for outside intervention: Justice Joseph (Eds: Updating with more quot...

No need for outside intervention: Justice Joseph No need for outside intervention: Justice Joseph (Eds: Updating with more quotes from Justice Joseph)Kochi, Jan 13 (PTI) Justice Kurian Joseph, one of thefour senior Supreme Court judges who virtually revoltedagainst the country's Chief Justice over "selective" caseallocation and certain judicial orders, today said there wasno need for outside intervention to solve the problem.

A day after he and the three other judges took theunprecedented step of addressing a press conference, JusticeJoseph expressed confidence that the issues raised by themwould be resolved,"An issue was raised. Those concerned have listened toit. Such actions would not occur in future. So (I) believethat the issue has been settled," he told reporters here whenasked about ways to sort out the issues raised by them.

"There is no need for outside intervention to solvethe matter because its is a matter (that) occurred within aninstitution. Necessary steps would be taken by the institutionitself to sort it out," Justice Joseph said, when asked ifoutside intervention was required to solve the matter.

The matter was not brought to the attention of thePresident of India as he has no constitutional responsibilityover the Supreme Court or the judges of the apex court,Justice Joseph said.

He said there was no constitutional lapse from thepart of Chief Justice of India but convention, practice andprocedure has to be followed while carrying out hisresponsibility.

"We just brought that matter to his attention," hesaid on the sidelines of the silver jubilee celebrations ofthe Major Archiespicopal Status of the Syro-Malabar Church atKakkanad near here.

Justice Joseph said the judges acted solely in theinterest of judiciary and justice.

"As some of you suggested it was a step forcorrection. The issue will end with the correction," he said.

Earlier, he rejected suggestions that they hadviolated discipline and expressed the hope that their actionwill bring in more transparency in the administration of theSupreme Court.

"Stood up for justice and judiciary...That is what wesaid there (in New Delhi) yesterday. Nothing beyond that,"Justice Joseph said in Malayalam when local television newschannels approached him at his ancestral home in Kalady nearhere seeking his reaction on yesterday's development.

"An issue has come to attention. It will certainly besolved since it has come to the attention," he told reporters.

Justice Joseph said the judges had acted only to"enhance the trust of the people in judiciary."The four senior most judges of the Supreme Court --justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and KurianJoseph -- had yesterday called a press conference in NewDelhi and said the situation in the top court was "not inorder" and many "less than desirable" things have taken place.

Unless this institution is preserved, "democracy willnot survive in this country," they had said.

Justice Chelameswar, the second senior judge after theChief Justice of India, had said "sometimes administration ofthe Supreme Court is not in order and many things which areless than desirable have happened in the last few months".

Chelameswar said they had met CJI Dipak Misrayesterday morning and "raised issues affecting theinstitution".

He also said the four judges had written a letter toCJI Dipak Misra some time back, raising important issues. PTITGBBN.

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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