‘Judge-Bashing’ A Trend Now, Will Deal With It With An Iron-Fist: Supreme Court

A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) has remarked that it would deal with wild allegations against judges with an iron fist to control the growing trend of ‘judge-bashing’. The bench made the observations while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) related to advocates, who are also legislators, practicing in Indian courts, Bar and Bench has reported.

An intervenor in the case, Bharatiya Matdata Sangathan had said that Pinaki Misra, a cousin of the CJI was a parliamentarian and a practicing advocate. Submissions of the organisation alleged allowing Misra to practice in the court was a case of conflict of interest as he had the right to vote in parliament during an impeachment motion.

The Supreme Court Bench which included CJI Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud strongly objected to the statement. Justice D Y Chandrachud was quoted as saying, “There is this trend of making allegations against judges. This has to stop. If you want to make allegations do so but we will deal with it. That message has to go out.”

The bench also proposed a monetary fine on such wild allegations. The court asked the general secretary of the intervenor organisation to work out an amount and inform the court. Further, it asked for details of the members of Bharatiya Matdata Sangathan. The court was hearing the PIL filed by Ashwini Updhyaya who sought a ban on law practice by lawyer-legislators.