'Don't use yeah-yeah, Supreme Court is not coffee shop': CJI Chandrachud reprimands litigant

Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Monday (Septermber 30) reprimanded a litigant for addressing the bench informally, using the term "yeah" instead of "yes." The CJI, visibly displeased, said, "This is not a coffee shop. I am very allergic to this 'yeah-yeah'." He also said that such casual expressions are inappropriate in a courtroom setting.

During the proceedings, a Pune-based litigant, representing himself in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), repeatedly responded to the court's questions with "yeah-yeah" rather than the expected "yes." This drew a sharp response from CJI Chandrachud, who reminded the litigant of the formal nature of the Supreme Court. "This cannot be allowed. This is a courtroom, not a coffee shop," he sternly told the litigant.

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The main focus of the session was the litigant's PIL, which called for an in-house inquiry against former Chief Justice of India, Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The petition related to the dismissal of a previous plea regarding the litigant's termination under labor laws. The CJI expressed serious concerns about including a former judge, particularly a former CJI, as a respondent in a PIL.

"How can you file a PIL with a judge as a respondent? There has to be some dignity," he remarked.

The bench, which also included Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was clear in its position. "Justice Ranjan Gogoi was a former judge of the Supreme Court. You cannot say I want an in-house inquiry against a judge because you did not succeed before the bench. Sorry, we cannot tolerate this," the CJI said.

The litigant argued that his PIL was a matter of "illegal termination." However, the CJI pointed out procedural errors, stating that instead of a PIL, a curative petition should have been filed after the dismissal of the original petition and review plea. The court directed the litigant to submit a statement to the registry confirming that Justice Gogoi’s name would be removed from the list of respondents.

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Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who served as the 46th Chief Justice of India and is now a Rajya Sabha MP, played a pivotal role in several landmark cases, including the Ayodhya land dispute. His inclusion in the PIL drew sharp rebukes from the bench, with the CJI stressing that the judiciary must be approached with dignity and respect, even in cases of disagreement.

• CJI
• DY Chandrachud
• PIL
• Ranjan Gogoi
• Supreme Court
• Public Interest Litigation