It is widely acknowledged that the judiciary is not entirely immune to corruption, with recurring instances of lawyers and judges being accused of unethical conduct. Against this backdrop, remarks made by the Chief Justice of India have drawn significant attention. Chief Justice of India Justice Suryakant openly expressed concern over corruption within the judicial system, a candid observation that has sparked discussion across legal and public circles.
The Chief Justice remarked that some judges tend to “hit sixes” just before their retirement, referring to the delivery of controversial judgments at the final stage of their service. He strongly criticised this growing trend and cautioned that such practices are detrimental to the credibility and integrity of the judiciary. According to him, the increasing number of disputed verdicts delivered close to retirement is not a healthy sign for the judicial system.
Justice Suryakant made these observations while hearing a petition filed by a district judge from Madhya Pradesh who had challenged his suspension. The judge was suspended after delivering two controversial judgments on November 19, just days before his scheduled retirement on November 30. However, following the state government’s decision to increase the retirement age to 62 years, the Supreme Court on November 20 ordered a one-year extension of his service. The case was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
During the hearing, the bench questioned why the suspended judge had not approached the High Court to challenge the suspension. While the judge’s counsel argued that approaching the Supreme Court was appropriate as the suspension was a full court decision, the apex court declined to entertain the petition and directed him to move the High Court instead. The Supreme Court also expressed displeasure over the judge’s attempt to seek details of his suspension through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
