Use of ceremonial facilities by judges should not lead to criticism of judiciary: CJI

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Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. File photo: PTI

The ceremonial facilities made available to judges should not be used in a way that inconveniences others or provokes public criticism against the judicial system, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said in a letter to Chief Justices of all High Courts.

In its letter, the CJI expressed its dissatisfaction with a recent incident in which a judge of the High Court in Allahabad demanded an explanation from the railway authorities for not having met his demands during a train journey.

A High Court judge has no disciplinary jurisdiction over railway staff. Therefore, there was no occasion for a High Court officer to demand an explanation from railway staff to be submitted to His Lordship for a kind reading, the CJI said.

Also Read: CJI Chandrachud: Judges Must Interpret Constitution With Changing Times While Preserving Its Essence

Clearly, the High Court officer in the above communication was carrying out an instruction from the High Court Judge in this proceeding (the Honorable Judge wished), the CJI said in the letter dated July 19.

In his letter, Chandrachud said that the communication which was addressed by a High Court officer to the Managing Director of the Railway Establishment has caused justified concern both inside and outside the judiciary.

The protocol facilities made available to judges should not be used to claim a privilege that sets them apart from society or as a manifestation of power or authority, Chandracud wrote.

CJI calls for wise exercise of judicial authority

A wise exercise of judicial authority, both on and off the bench, is what sustains the credibility and legitimacy of the judiciary and the trust society has in its judges, the CJI wrote.

Chandracud said he was writing this to all high court chief justices with a request to share his concerns with all their court colleagues.

Self-reflection and advice within the justice system is necessary. Protocol facilities made available to judges should not be used in a manner likely to cause inconvenience to others or elicit public criticism of the justice system, the CJI said.

Also Read: Don’t Mess With My Authority: CJI Chandrachud Tells Lawyer

In a recent incident, a High Court judge in Allahabad demanded an explanation from railway officials for allegedly failing to meet his demands while traveling by train from Delhi to Prayagraj.

Subsequently, a letter was sent by the Registrar (Protocol) of the Allahabad High Court to the General Manager of the North Central Railway, Prayagraj, requesting an explanation on the matter.

(With agency contributions)

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