CJ of India who gave legal opinion to an American court

Mani ji,

Ex-CJI is not a guy. First please respect disgnation of the person. This is not America calling as 'GUY'.

If any Ex-CJI have given his opinion to any American Court regarding unfair of laws he is denouncing indian judiciary prestage and his disgnation. What he did when he was CJI? He can send notice to the Central Government if any laws are unfair.

I am sorry I never heard such news as you said above  about a Ex-CJI. 

Mr. Mani,

The judge you are referring to is  Honourable CHIEF JUSTICE YOGESH  KUMAR  SABHARWAL in Stefan Wathne's case

"Stefan Wathne, a national of Iceland and a resident of Russia was arrested for extradition in India. Wathne returned voluntarily to the United States with an agreement to preserve his rights under the Extradition Treaty between the Republic of India and the United States. A graduate of Harvard University, Wathne was charged in the Northern District of California, with conspiracy to launder proceeds from an illegal LSD manufacturing operation, in violation of 18 USC 1956.  The offense is alleged to have been committed during the time period 1996-2000.

American authorities had utilized a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) between the United States and Russia to summon the defendant for an interrogation in Moscow on December 16, 2003.An Assistant United States Attorney, and a DEA Special Agent attended the interrogation of Mr. Wathne.  According to the defense, Mr. Wathne was told by the Russian investigator that under Article 308 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code a witness is criminally liable for failing to make a statement. Mr. Wathne was indicted in 2005.

On September 21, 2007 Wathne was arrested at the New Delhi airport pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice authorizing his arrest on the outstanding indictment in the United States. According to Mr. Wathne’s Motion to Dismiss, Mr. Wathne was detained in a:

“filthy, rat-infested New Delhi prison. On a daily basis he saw prisoners beaten by guards and slashed with razor blade by other prisoners. He was given inadequate food, which he was required to eat with his hands, and dirty water. He was threatened by prisoners and guards alike, and he was extorted.”

Mr. Wathne applied for bail and argued that during the time alleged in the Indictment, money laundering was not a crime in India, and the Indian court could therefore not grant the defendant’s extradition because the extradition treaty required dual criminality. The Indian court denied bail, and ruled that the Indian court could not adjudicate the issue of dual criminality until the United States filed a formal extradition request. Mr. Wathne filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus, and on November 15, 2007 the High Court of Delhi at New Delhi issued an initial Order granting Mr. Wathne bail, and suggesting that at the time of the extradition hearing, the Court might rule in Mr. Wathne’s favor . 

On December 7, 2007 the Defendant entered into an agreement with the United States and agreed to return to voluntarily return to the United States, “on the condition that the United States agrees that he shall retain any and all rights he may have possessed under the Extradition treaty. “

The Defendant raised the same dual criminality challenge as well as others before the District Court in California. The Court rejected the Government’s position that the Court was without jurisdiction to rule on a dual criminality issue, because the issue had to have been decided by a Court of the country from whom extradition is sought. The Government also argued unsuccessfully that the Court must treat the defendant as if he had consented to extradition.

With regard to the merits of the Dual Criminality issue, the Government argued that the only test is whether money laundering was a crime in India at the time of the Indictment, not at the time the offense is alleged to have occurred. Judge Walker, however, ultimately adopted the defendant’s argument, based in large part on the testimony of defense experts. These experts included Justice Y K Sabharwal, the former Chief Justice of India, and Raju Ramachandran, the former Additional Solicitor General of India.

These witnesses both cited a House of Lords opinion to support their contentions that an Indian court would look to the date of commission of the offense. Expert Ramachandran testified that House of Lords opinions carry “great persuasive value”, and Ex Parte Pinochet Ugarte fortifies and supports his view that the defendant would not have been extradited by an Indian court.

Judge Walker concluded,

“Based on the testimony of Justice Sabharwal and Rmachandran, as well as the Constitution of India, Ex Parte Pinochet Ugarte (the only persuasive authority presented on the subject by either party), and the government’s lack of opposition, this court concludes that the dual criminality requirement of the extradition treaty under Indian law requires that the offense charged be punishable in both countries at the time of the conduct that constitutes the offense. Accordingly, had the government pursued extradition in India without the voluntary return agreement, an Indian court probably would have denied extradition on that basis. 

One issue that may be of interest to practitioners is that the Court treated the defendant’s evidence with regard to Indian law as having been unopposed. The Court cited Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 26.1, which provides that “issues of foreign law are questions of law, but in deciding such issues a court may consider any relevant material or source, including testimony without regard to the Federal Rules of Evidence.”

The Court noted that the Government had offered no evidence of its own on the issue of dual criminality under Indian law, and relied on a summary argument that defendant’s interpretation would be rejected under American law.” The Court found that such an argument was not sufficient to address the dual criminality requirement as a matter of Indian law."

Mr mani,

read it as Former CHIEF JUSTICE YOGESH  KUMAR  SABHARWAL in Stefan Wathne's case

 Mr Mani,

But on the same matter Justice Y K Sabharwal did not give such an opinion as  "the indian legal process is unfair, and long, etc." . And regarding this particular statement I'm afraid the newspaper report was misleading you.Again Mr.Mani we in India should in my opinion give a little more respect to the Judges and add "Justice" before their names while referring them

Arun ji,

Thank you very much for providing good information.

MANI',

PLEASE RESPECT OUR CJI DON,T SAY GUY.

MR. ARUN EXPLAINED/REPLIED VERY GOOD.

I go with Adinath Sir and respect all community member not to lower down the image of judiciary among the citizen of India.

Yes, show some respect please gby avoiding the worf GUY when we refer to judges of SC! Good question and thank you Arun, for the valuable information. our Ex-CJI was truly a great Judge and a pearl for India.

 Dear folks,

Gud to see tat everyone wants to respect CJI. 

No 2 opinions on that. I dont intend to give a lecture on the oxford dictionary meaning of the word GUY.

But to be respected the actions of a man however high, he may be, should also be respectable. The CJI who Im referring to appears to have ashamed his own office, and betrayed the name and honour of the motherland, when he says in an American court that (appearing as a lawyer for an MNC after retirement)

"The  case could take up to 20 years if it were moved to India. Because of shortage of judges and the already huge backlog. He said a 1971 case in which he appeared for the Central Government was still pending and his daughter was now appearing in the same matter. ‘‘It is anybody’s guess as to when this case will be finally decided,’’ he added."

Now, if that were to be his quote in writing by way of an affidavit in an American court, then the next question follows, What was he doing as CJI to put an end to this ?

Now do you still believe that this guy deserves to be respected. 

Im sending you the link, to know who he is, https://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/31505/

Pls do reply folks.

 Dear folks,

Gud to see tat everyone wants to respect CJI. 

No 2 opinions on that. I dont intend to give a lecture on the oxford dictionary meaning of the word GUY.

But to be respected the actions of a man however high, he may be, should also be respectable. The CJI who Im referring to appears to have ashamed his own office, and betrayed the name and honour of the motherland, when he says in an American court that (appearing as a lawyer for an MNC after retirement)

"The  case could take up to 20 years if it were moved to India. Because of shortage of judges and the already huge backlog. He said a 1971 case in which he appeared for the Central Government was still pending and his daughter was now appearing in the same matter. ‘‘It is anybody’s guess as to when this case will be finally decided,’’ he added."

Now, if that were to be his quote in writing by way of an affidavit in an American court, then the next question follows, What was he doing as CJI to put an end to this ?

Now do you still believe that this guy deserves to be respected. 

Im sending you the link, to know who he is, https://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/31505/

Pls do reply folks.

Mani ji,

As the Justice Kirpal appeared for a MNC, to defend his client he expressed his view. I too agree he should n't made such statement in a foreign country. It may go wrong signals. As he is a former justice he can table his views / suggestions before law commission for reforms in our judiciary.   

 I hate the former Chief Justice for making such statements.Anyone can make such statements about whatever he feels aggrieved about but as the  Chief Justice,instead of blaming the system he should have done something to make the system better.And this is my personal opinion.

Still Mr Mani, it is not the particular person we are giving respect to but the institution of Judiciary,the position of Chief Justice of India.We need not look at the particular person sitting in the CJI's position to give him respect.It is the position we are giving respect to.

Of course Mr Mani, Judges are not beyond criticism but we should not disrespect and blame the whole judiciary for the blameworthy acts done by one or two of them.You are a lawyer and i don't think somebody should really explain  these things to you.

Mr. Mani played a clever trick!!! ( this is a compliment Mr. Mani) He actually had the information and instead of posting it as information he seemed to have started a thread first and posted the information later.  Anyways, we have learnt something new. Thanks to Mr. Mani and Mr. Arun.

Mr. mani'

FORMER CHIEF JUSTCE  KRIPAL  EXPRESSES HIS VIEWS IN MNC THAT DOES NOT MEAN  THAT INDIAN  LEGAL PROCESS IS UNFAIR. JUSTICE  VIEW IS FOR REFORM INDIAN  LEGAL PROCESS. YOU SHOULD THINK OF HIS POSITIVE VIEW .YOU SHOULD NOT CRITISIZE HIS LECTURE .

WE MUST RESPECT OUR LAW AND JUDICIARY.