Guwahati, Aug 17 (IANS): Supreme Court Chief Justice P. Sathasivam Saturday expressed concern over the decline of the peoples' faith in the judiciary and appealed to the members of the legal profession to uphold and preserve its public esteem and credibility.

The CJI, who was here to inaugurate a building of the Gauhati High Court, stressed on the need to render service to the disadvantaged sections of the society and said that he would ensure that the judiciary lays topmost priority to dispose of pending cases, especially those involving women and juveniles.

"There's unfortunately, a growing crisis within the judiciary. The manifestation of this crisis lies not only in the ever-increasing arrears of cases in courts and the consequent delays in our justice delivery system but also in the steady decline in the reputation of the judiciary as also of the legal profession," he said.

"This institution unlike others in the democratic set up thrives only on trust and confidence reposed by the people. So, we should conduct ourselves befitting to the status we hold," Sathasivam said.

"After joining the office, I have written to all the chief justices of various High Courts in the county to find out all the cases which have been pending for 10 years or more and give them priority. Besides, I have also asked them to prioritize the cases pertaining to women and children," said the 64-year-old judge from Tamil Nadu who took over his post July 19.

"The judiciary has a big role to play in national re-construction, social justice and strengthening democratic values among people at large," he added.

The CJI also admitted the challenges faced by judiciary and said that a judge has also to improve his knowledge and skills to be able to respond to such a noble assignment of dispensing justice efficiently and impartially.