Citizens should be proud of bipartisan efforts in passing of Women's Reservation Bill: CJI

New Delhi, Sep 23: Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Saturday said that citizens should be proud of the bipartisan efforts echoed in Parliament  during passing of the Women's Reservation Bill.

Such spirit was reflected in drafting of the Constitution where members engaged beyond partisan line and conflicting ideologies came together "in one voice" to draft the Constitution, he said while addressing the inaugural session of the International Lawyers' Conference organised by the Bar Council of India.

CJI Chandrachud said that while the judiciary upholds rule of law, the bar plays a key role as lawyers help in business efficiency and cross border transactions and contribute to national well being and economic development.

He stressed that it is time for the lawyers to reach across the world in a global landscape.

During his address, he mentioned that the Central government has allocated a budget of more than 7,000 crores for Phase-III of e-Courts project .

He also mentioned the recent Constitutional Bench proceedings where the Supreme Court had asked the Union Road Transport and Highway Ministry to relook into its notifications providing that Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) licence holders do not require separate endorsement to drive a transport vehicle of LMV class.

"Instead of viewing the case as an adversarial challenge, the court and government are collaborating to save the livelihood of millions of drivers across the country," he said.

He added that constitutional structure may put the executive and judiciary at the different ends of the table but the aim of both is the same i.e. progress and prosperity of the nation.

Earlier in the day, the Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal had hailed the Supreme Court for conducting the highest number of virtual hearings in the world during the CoVID-19 pandemic.