Purity of Character III

Posted on by Rudrajyoti Nath Ray

“Public Servants are like fish in water… none can say when and how a fish drank water.”

It may be noted, maintenance of high standard of conduct and character of Judicial Officers has always been a matter of great concern for this Court [C. Ravichandran Iyer v. Justice A.M. Bhattacharjee, (1995) 5 SCC 457; Sadhna Chaudhary v. State of Uttar Pradesh, (2020) 11 SCC 760].

Though we completely agree, disciplinary proceedings could not be initiated against Judicial Officers merely because Judgment/Orders passed by them were wrong – there was enough evidence and material to show, Muzaffar Husain had misconducted himself while discharging his duties as a Judicial Officer and had passed Orders in utter disregard of specific provisions of law.

– Hon’ble Justice Bela M. Trivedi, Muzaffar Husain v. State of Uttar Pradesh, [Civil Appeal No. 3613 of 2022].

'The Last Word' seeks to include not only wise and witty sayings but also curiosities. These words are not of obligation but of delight. I am not alone in my refusal to believe, law is tedious. For all who escaped these percipient eyes, mea culpa maxima. History, after all, has many cunning passages, contrived corridors and issues.