Strengthen judiciary to fight corruption: Salman Khurshid

Kochi: Describing Indian judiciary as a very 'valuable' institution, Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Monday stressed the need to strengthen it to combat corruption rather than substituting judges.

"... by strengthening the profile and position of Indian judges and not by substituting judges by anyone else can corruption be fought," he said while speaking on 'Building a Corruption free India' as part of the fifth KS Rajamony memorial lecture at the Kerala High Court.

He said judges have many attributes. "The judges have training, they have judicial mind, are compassionate and have attitude. This attitude cannot be found in anyone else," he said and urged judges not to allow civil society, politicians and media to undermine their (judges) role to win the battle against corruption.

Indian judiciary if given the right infrastructure, opportunity, there cannot be greater instrument of change than judiciary itself, said Khurshid.

"Unless you can inspire people's collective conscience, unless you can take people together, unless you can persuade and ask them to join you, we will not win the battle against corruption," he said.

Pointing that the Union government was criticised for not acting fast enough on the Lokpal bill, Khurshid said, "Indian judiciary if given the right infrastructure, right intellectual support and right opportunity, there cannot be greater instrument of change than judiciary itself."

"It is possible judiciary itself is uncomfortable about reforms... such reforms has to come from judiciary itself."

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