The Union government stated that complaints against higher judiciary judges are addressed through an internal mechanism developed by the judiciary, with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and Chief Justices of High Courts authorized to review such grievances. Minister of State for Law and Justice (Independent Charge), Arjun Ram Meghwal, informed the Lok Sabha that judicial independence is safeguarded by the Constitution, and complaints are managed internally following established procedures. Meghwal highlighted that the Supreme Court, in 1997, adopted resolutions on judicial values and an in-house procedure to uphold standards and address issues with judges.
As per the in-house procedure for the higher judiciary, the CJI is responsible for handling complaints against Supreme Court judges and Chief Justices of High Courts, while Chief Justices of High Courts are tasked with addressing complaints against High Court judges. Complaints against members of the higher judiciary received through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) or other means are directed to the CJI or Chief Justices of High Courts for necessary action, as per the information shared by MoS Meghwal. The data provided by the Supreme Court revealed the number of complaints against sitting judges received by the CJI’s office over the past decade.
The Union government clarified that there are no plans to introduce a separate mechanism beyond the existing in-house procedure for handling complaints against judges. The established process ensures that complaints received through CPGRAMS or other channels are forwarded to the CJI or Chief Justices of High Courts for appropriate resolution.
