Supreme Court judge Justice N.V. Ramana on Saturday said corruption drains out public trust in institutions.
Nations struggle when decisions are made in power corridors to further one’s own self-interest, the Supreme Court’s seniormost judge said.
He was speaking at the 17th Asian Law Institute conference on ‘Law and Justice in Asia’.
“Corruption eats away at the roots of democracy and democratic institutions...Where corruption becomes the norm, public trust upon institutions is diminished, ultimately sacrificing the ethos of our democracy,” Justice Ramana said
The seniormost judge of the Supreme Court referred to B.R. Ambedkar’s words that “however good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it, happen to be a bad lot”.
Justice Ramana spoke on whether law really furthers justice.
He said this in the context of whether statutes actually protects citizens from cyber threats and violation of their privacy on the Internet.
“The global citizenry is currently struggling with this challenge, with respect to the technological advancements being made — from social media and the Internet to automated vehicles. This area in my view requires a lot of work. It is for courts and academia to provide meaningful justice to protect individuals from cyber threats,” Justice Ramana said.
The judge said courts are trying to keep pace with the “changes in societal norms and to resolve newly contested issues, such as those related to identity, privacy or even activities over the Internet”.
