The Supreme Court has strongly cautioned against false, anonymous and motivated complaints filed to harass trial judges, saying such acts must invite contempt proceedings. It directed that lawyers involved in engineering such complaints should also face strict disciplinary action by Bar Councils.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a plea seeking transfer of a 2019 defamation case, holding that unproven allegations against a judge and counsel amount to an “attack on the majesty of law.” The Court imposed a Rs 50,000 penalty on the 89-year-old petitioner and directed the trial court to proceed expeditiously.
The Tamil Nadu DGP informed the Supreme Court that criminal cases have been registered against protesters for allegedly making caste and religion-based defamatory remarks against Justice G R Swaminathan. The action follows the Madras High Court judge’s order allowing the lighting of Karthigai Deepam on Thirupparankundram hill.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has ruled that complaints, service records, and inquiry details of judicial officers are personal information and cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act. The Court held that such disclosures lack public interest and are protected under Sections 8(1)(j) and 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act.
India has responded to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s note to jailed activist Umar Khalid, stressing that public representatives must respect the independence of the judiciary in other democracies. The government said expressing personal views on ongoing legal matters does not suit those holding public office.
