With the fabric and integrity of political masters in Power awfully corroded and amidst a very dysfunctional politically manipulated Executive, the Judiciary plays a very crucial role in delivering Justice against skewed government decisions and awfully flawed legislations.
Judiciary has had to take charge of Goa’s governance to a large extent in cracking the whip on illegal acts of those in power and authority. The steep rise in Public Interest Litigations over the last few years is a very clear sign that people are ready to stand up and legally challenge the injustice meted out to society. Over the last many decades, I have attempted to do my little bit in knocking the doors of the Judiciary with now two issues raised still awaiting final adjudication by our High Court.
One is that intervention application in 2020 on the petition filed by Raymond Fernandes son of then Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes challenging the government decision dropping him from the list of selected candidates for the post of Awal Karkun which was done after it was pointed out to the authorities by me that the BA degree submitted was from a fake university. The other issue is my recent petiton challenging the decision to bestow Lifetime cabinet status to former Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane which petition has been admitted and awaiting final hearing. The government has already given an oral undertaking to the High Court that the decision will not be given effect till the disposal of my petition. So there is a virtual stay in both my matters which are pending.
With so much injustice all over and moving the Courts being a cumbersome process, it would be nice to see our Courts more proactive and taking prompt suo motu cognizance on issues of public interest and welfare of the people. This would, in a way, help ensure a PIL does not end up as a Private Interest Litigation, Political Interest Litigation, Publicity Interest Litigation or worse still, a Paisa Interest Litigation.
