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From Mythic Saviours to #MeToo at the Indian Supreme Court

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 November 2021

Deepa Das Acevedo*
Affiliation:
University of Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa, AL

Abstract

The Indian Supreme Court has long enjoyed an almost mythic reputation for progressive and creative jurisprudence, but a series of recent scandals is beginning to erode this well-settled authority. One of the most troubling of these incidents has been an allegation of sexual harassment and intimidation by a Court staffer against then sitting Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi. This article draws on media analysis and ethnographic research conducted in the immediate aftermath of the “CJI Scandal” to explore what it means for judges and judging in contemporary India. I argue that the justices’ response to the allegations are part of a broader shift in Indian judging. Far from being the product of an institution imbued with mythic qualities, judging in India is increasingly coming to represent an example of mythos, or “an assertive discourse of power and authority … something to be believed and obeyed.”

Type
Judging and Judgment in Contemporary Asia
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of KoGuan Law School, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

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