Empowering HCs: Supreme Court shows the way judiciously

AMID a raging debate over ‘judicial overreach’, the Supreme Court has chosen the judicious path of introspection and course correction. Days after a two-judge SC Bench criticised the Allahabad High Court judge who allowed criminal proceedings in a civil dispute case, calling it one of the “worst and most erroneous” orders, the adverse observations were deleted following the intervention of Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai. The apex court also recalled its order on the HC judge’s removal from the roster of criminal cases. The CJI has taken exception to the tendency of some judges of superior courts to make comments on the knowledge and ability of their counterparts in lower courts. Reinforcing the message that HCs are not subordinate or inferior to the SC, a CJI-led Bench on Monday directed a litigant and his lawyers to tender an unconditional apology to a Telangana High Court judge against whom they had levelled “scurrilous allegations”.