DIMAPUR, JULY 17: The office of the Advocate General of Nagaland, Gauhati High Court on Sunday shot off a stinging rebuke at Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT), in response to what it said was a “scurrilous attack on the entire judiciary of the state” by ACAUT in the newspapers very recently.
A press release from the Advocate General’s office stated that the attack was “uncalled for in the context of the ACAUT rejecting the constitution of SIT by the government of Nagaland to probe the oil adulteration case.” It was appended by K Sema, Senior Advocate and Additional Advocate General Nagaland.
According to Sema, an honest criticism of the judiciary in the state by member of the public was welcome. “However the fair and temperate criticism of the judiciary and its institution must be healthy, constructive and in a dignified and respectful language, but should not be hostile, undermining or tending to undermine the public confidence in the administration of justice.
“A citizen is entitled to speak out or express the infirmities from which any institution including the judiciary suffers and such rights of a citizen must be left unimpaired. However no citizen has an absolute and unfettered right to freedom of speech and expression to scandalize and degrade the judiciary bringing it to disrespect and impeding public confidence in the administration of justice and creating disbelief in the efficacy of judicial administration by the courts,” Sema said.
The “imputation made by the ACAUT”, he said, of the judiciary in the state being under the spell of politicians and corrupt influences was nothing short of degrading and scandalizing the entire judiciary in the state by imputing partiality, corruption, bias and improper motives on the persons manning the judicial institutions.
“Such vituperative attack which has in effect the hostile undermining or tending to undermine the public confidence in the judiciary of the state should not be allowed to recklessly travel beyond the contours of a dignified and constructive criticism of judicial institutions and its functioning.
“While wholly appreciating and supporting the good cause taken up by organizations such as the ACAUT in the well being of the society, individuals and organizations are urged to conduct themselves diligently within the permissible bounds of law and to detest from circulating news items which are not only contumacious but demeaning to the state judiciary as a whole,” he said.
