Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana on Saturday said there were "certain barriers" as regard the introduction of local languages in the respective High Courts in the country but expressed confidence that the issue may be "solved in the near future" with the help of scientific innovation including Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In his address in Chennai after laying the foundation stone for a nine-storeyed Administrative Block of the Madras High Court, Justice Ramana also said the Tamil people were always in the forefront of protecting cultural and linguistic rights in the country and made an apparent reference to the anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu in the 1960s.
Justice Ramana's remarks on the use of local language in High Courts came after State Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who also participated in the event on Saturday and made the request, for allowing Tamil to be used in the proceedings before the Madras High Court.
"From time to time there have been demands from various regions to allow the use of local language in the proceedings before the high courts as provided under Article 348 of the Constitution. A lot of debate has taken place on this subject. There are certain barriers that have prevented local language from being adopted for the proceedings before the high courts. I am sure with the innovation in science and technology, the advancement such as Artificial Intelligence, some of the issues associated with the introduction of languages in the high courts may be solved in the near future," he CJI said.
Noting that strengthening judicial institutions has been his "top priority," CJI Ramana said the judiciary had the duty of upholding and enforcing the constitutional values.
"During the last one year of my tenure as the Chief Justice of India, I have been highlighting various issues affecting our legal system. The biggest issue affecting all institutions nowadays, including the judiciary is ensuring sustained faith in the eyes of the pubic. The judiciary is wrested with immense constitutional responsibility of maintaining the rule of law and checking legislative and executive excesses." "We have the duty of upholding and enforcing the constitutional values. It is no doubt a heavy burden but it is one that we have gladly chosen on the day we took oath. This is the reason why strengthening judicial institutions has been my top priority," he added.
Talking about Chennai, he hailed it as one of the cultural capitals of the country, with its rich traditions, art, architecture, dance, music and cinema deeply embedded in the live of the people.
"Tamilians take deep pride in their identity, language, food and culture. They are in the forefront of protecting cultural and linguistic rights in the country. Even today when we people think about the linguistic diversity of India, the battle fought by Tamilians comes to one's mind. As a child when I visited my relatives in the city, I remember witnessing massive protests on the language issue though I was too young to understand the issue involved," he said in an apparent reference to the anti-Hindi agitation piloted by the DMK in the 1960s.
Earlier, Chief Minister Stalin in his address said his government was keen to ensure the rule of law and social justice and was proceeding on this path.
Praising the Chief Justice, he said people held him in high esteem.
Among others, Mr. Stalin requested the CJI to set up a bench of the Supreme Court in Chennai for the benefit of southern states, saying it was a "long-pending" demand.
