CJI cautions judges against using protocol facilities to inconvenience others

‘A wise exercise of judicial authority, both on and off the Bench, is what sustains the credibility and legitimacy of the judiciary and the confidence which society has in its judges,’ says Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud

July 21, 2023 02:09 am | Updated 02:09 am IST - NEW DELHI:

Chief Justice of India, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. File

Chief Justice of India, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. File | Photo Credit: ANI

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud has asked judges not to use their protocol facilities in a manner that is liable to cause inconvenience to others or to bring public criticism of the judiciary.

In a letter, the Chief Justice referred to a recent incident when a High Court officer, likely on the direction of a High Court judge, sought an explanation from railway personnel about the pantry staffers not serving the judge during a train journey.

“A judge of the High Court does not possess disciplinary jurisdiction over railway personnel. Hence, there was no occasion for an officer of the High Court to call for an explanation from the railway personnel,” the CJI pointed out.

The officer’s letter had said the pantry car manager did not answer repeated calls from the judge’s side.

The Registrar in-charge of the protocol section of the High Court had written to the general manager of the regional railway establishment on July 14, complaining about “inconvenience caused to His Lordship”.

Chief Justice Chandrachud did not name the High Court or the judge concerned in order not to embarrass the High Court concerned.

However, the CJI wrote that the “communication which has been addressed by an officer of the High Court to the General Manager of the railway establishment has given rise to justifiable disquiet both within and outside the judiciary”.

“Protocol ‘facilities’ which are made available to judges should not be utilised to assert a claim to privilege which sets them apart from society or as a manifestation of power or 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 confidence which society has in its judges,” the Chief Justice cautioned.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.