Delhi High Court is strict on the security of judges, orders a meeting of Central Government, Police and Home Ministry in a week.
Delhi High Court has adopted a strict stance regarding the security of judicial officers in the capital. Describing this issue as serious, the court has directed the concerned agencies to take immediate action. During the hearing, the bench of Justice Manoj Jain directed the Delhi Government, Delhi Police and the Home Ministry to hold a joint meeting within a week. In this meeting, concrete decisions should be taken to strengthen the security arrangements of judicial officers and its report should be presented in the court. This matter has come before the court through a petition filed by the Judicial Services Association, in which concerns have been raised about the safety of judges and judicial officers.
Demand in the petition filed in Delhi High Court
In the petition filed by the Judicial Services Association, it has been demanded that personal security officers (PSOs) should be provided to the judges working in the district judiciary and adequate security arrangements should be ensured at their residences also. During the hearing, Justice Manoj Jain, while making oral remarks, said that the concerns raised in the petition are very serious and cannot be taken lightly in any way. He clearly said that it is necessary to make concrete arrangements for the security of judges. The court has directed senior officials of the Delhi government, Delhi Police and the Home Ministry to hold a joint meeting on the issue and submit a detailed report to the court before the next hearing.
Reference to threats being received by judges
The Judicial Services Association, in its petition, has said that judges often face threats, abuse and other security risks while discharging their judicial duties. Such situations not only threaten their personal safety but can also affect the dignity of the justice system and people’s trust in it. It was also stated in the petition that most of the judicial officers of Delhi drive their own cars to and from the court. During this time, many times they have to face incidents like stopping, chasing and road rage, which creates serious concerns about their safety.
Hearing this, the bench of Justice Manoj Jain made it clear that this issue is very sensitive and cannot be ignored. The court has already directed the Delhi Government, Delhi Police and Home Ministry to hold a joint meeting on this subject and find a concrete solution and submit a detailed report before the next hearing.
The petition also said that in some cases, cases involving serious crimes are heard within the court premises itself, and incidents of violence or firing inside the courts have also been reported in the past. This further increases the concern regarding the safety of judicial officers. Hearing this, the bench of Justice Manoj Jain acknowledged that this situation is very sensitive and it is extremely important to ensure the safety of the judges.
Representation was sent earlier also
The Judicial Services Association told the court that on this issue they had also sent a representation to the Registrar General of the High Court on April 23 last year, demanding that adequate security be provided to the judges. Taking cognizance of this, the court has also made the Registrar General a party in the case and has directed that a detailed report of what action has been taken so far on that representation should be presented before the court.
During the hearing, the bench of Justice Manoj Jain also made it clear that merely providing security to a judge in case of special threat is not a sufficient solution. The court commented that if a judicial officer fears personal danger then he can be given security, but this does not solve the broader problem. Therefore, there is a need to formulate a comprehensive and concrete policy, which can ensure the security of all judicial officers.
The meeting will also examine the arrangements of other states
Delhi High Court has added another important point in its instructions regarding the security of judicial officers. The Court has directed the Delhi Government, Delhi Police and the Home Ministry that during the proposed meeting, information should also be collected as to what kind of security arrangements are given to judicial officers in other states of the country, whether they are provided with Personal Security Officers (PSOs) or any other security mechanism is in place. In this case, the bench of Justice Manoj Jain will now hold the next hearing on April 21, where the concerned agencies have been asked to submit a detailed report.
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