India, July 29 -- Stressing the importance of harmony between democratic institutions, Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Tuesday said the principle of separation of powers is meant to foster constitutional balance rather than institutional isolation, as the Assembly hosted 45 trainee judicial officers under its Youth Outreach Programme. The visit, organised in collaboration with the Delhi Judicial Academy, has now been formally incorporated into the academy's annual training curriculum for judicial officers. Addressing the participants, Gupta said, "India's constitutional democracy draws its strength from institutions that remain faithful to their respective responsibilities while functioning with mutual respect. The Legislature and the Judiciary have distinct constitutional roles, but both are united by a common commitment to justice, accountability and the rule of law."
Emphasising constitutional principles, he added, "The principle of separation of powers does not imply institutional isolation. Rather, it provides a constitutional framework within which every organ of the State exercises its authority with restraint, responsibility and respect for the jurisdiction of the others." He also urged trainee judicial officers and law students to view law as an instrument for safeguarding rights, resolving disputes and strengthening public confidence in institutions. Former Lok Sabha Secretary General P. D. T. Acharya, speaking on "Legislature-Judiciary Interface: Separation of Powers in Practice, said, "The separation of powers under the Indian Constitution is not rigid, but rests on a carefully structured balance among the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary." Explaining the constitutional framework, he said legislatures make laws while courts interpret them, adding that ordinance-making under Article 123 reflects the functional overlap between institutions. He also referred to landmark cases, including the Keshav Singh case, and judicial interventions that strengthened electoral transparency.
Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht said such interactions help judicial officers and law students understand legislative functioning and constitutional conventions. Principal Secretary (Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs) Reetesh Singh described the visit as the first institutional interaction of its kind for judicial officers at the Delhi Assembly and announced that Assembly visits have now been formally included in the Delhi Judicial Academy's training curriculum. The participants also toured the Assembly premises, viewed documentaries on Vithalbhai Patel and the Delhi Assembly, and attended a presentation on the coffee table book Ek Shatabdi Yatra.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.