Team Blitz India
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud emphasised the importance of managing stress and ensuring worklife balance while speaking at the inauguration of the 21st Biennial State Level Conference of Judicial Officers in Bengaluru.
He recounted a recent incident where he faced online trolling and vicious abuse for adjusting his seating position during a hearing due to discomfort. Addressing the topic of work-life balance and stress management at the twoday conference, the CJI emphasised the importance of stress management, particularly for district judges and highlighted the significance of judges’ ability to handle stress effectively in their professional and personal lives.
A personal experience The CJI shared a recent personal experience where he faced trolling during a significant hearing that was livestreamed. “Just four or five days ago when I was hearing a case, I had a little pain in my back, so all that I did was I placed my elbows in my armchair in the court and I just shifted my position in the chair,” news agency PTI quoted CJI Chandrachud as saying.
He further explained that many comments on social media accused him of being arrogant because he stood up in the middle of a crucial court argument. “What they didn’t tell you was that all he did was only to shift his position in the chair. Twenty-four years of judging can be a little strenuous which I have put in. I didn’t leave the court. I only shifted my position, but I was subject to vicious abuse, and trolling, the knives were out but I do believe that our shoulders are broad enough and the ultimate confidence that we have is of common citizens in the work which we do,” he noted.
CJI Chandrachud also remembered his time as the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, where he regularly heard about the treatment of judges at different levels, from junior to senior.
