Don't overstep limits, PM tells judiciary

The growing tension between the judiciary and the legislature came to fore today with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan trying to shield their respective domains from being encroached on by the other.

While the Prime Minister suggested the judiciary should not breach the thin line dividing the two wings, the Chief Justice asserted that the perceived tension between courts, legislature and the executive was a natural and inevitable corollary of a healthy democracy.

The two constitutional heads gave vent to their feelings on a common platform -- a conference of chief ministers and chief justices of High Courts at the Vigyan Bhavan - in the presence of several legal luminaries.

While Singh spoke at length, virtually advising the judiciary from overeaching itself, Balakrishnan, whose speech preceded the prime minister's inaugural address, left no stone unturned in asserting the judiciary's independence and particulary its power to review the actions of Parliament and legislatures.

"The application to judicial review to determine constitutionality of the legislation and to review the executive decision sometimes creates tension between the judge and the legislative and the executive branch. Such tension is natural and to some extent desirable," Balakrishnan said.