KOLKATA : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Saturday expressed their concerns over lack of integrity and honesty in the judiciary.

The two were expressing their views at ‘East Zone-II Regional Conference of National Judicial Academy’ in Kolkata. Chief Minister Banerjee said the judiciary should be honest and free from political bias. Backing her views, the CJI said judges should refrain from allowing their personal beliefs to influence their rulings.

Dubbing the judiciary a “temple” for citizens, the CM said it serves as the last frontier for getting justice and upholding constitutional rights. “It is not my intention to humiliate anyone, but my kind submission is that please ensure there is no political bias in the judiciary. The judiciary must be absolutely pure, honest and sacred,” she added.

CJI Chandrachud laid emphasis on how judgments should be based on constitutional morality and not a judge’s concept of morality. “Increasingly, we see judges writing on their ideologies. For example, a judge stating that he won’t give protection to a couple who are staying together, as they are in a consensual relationship outside marriage. The law protects relationships in the nature of marriage, yet we find judges writing they cannot give protection,” he said.