Over 8,600 complaints against sitting judges in a decade, Govt informs Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Data presented in the Lok Sabha on February 13 showed that the office of the Chief Justice of India has received 8,630 complaints against sitting judges over the past ten years.

DMK MP Matheswaran VS asked Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal whether the Supreme Court maintains records of complaints related to corruption, sexual misconduct, or other serious allegations against judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts. He also sought details of such complaints received in the last decade.

The MP further asked if the government has any system other than the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) to collect complaints against judges, and whether guidelines would be issued to ensure proper recording and monitoring of such complaints to promote accountability.

In response, Meghwal said that complaints against sitting Supreme Court judges are received by the Chief Justice of India through the court’s “in-house procedure.” Similarly, complaints against High Court judges are handled by the respective Chief Justices of the High Courts.

He said that accountability in the higher judiciary is ensured through this “in-house mechanism.” He also referred to two resolutions adopted by the Supreme Court in a full court meeting on May 7, 1997: “The Restatement of Values of Judicial Life,” which outlines ethical standards for judges, and the “in-house procedure” for taking remedial action against judges who violate these principles.

Meghwal added that complaints received through CPGRAMS or other channels are forwarded to the CJI or the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court.

He then placed on record information provided by the Supreme Court, showing that the highest number of complaints was received in 2024, during the tenure of former CJIs D Y Chandrachud and Sanjiv Khanna.

The minister also recalled that in 2016, similar questions were raised in Parliament, and the government had introduced the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill to enhance transparency. However, the Bill lapsed following the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.

In January, the Supreme Court issued guidelines on how High Courts should handle complaints against judicial officers in the district judiciary.