New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): A group of former Supreme Court and High Court judges has strongly urged Members of Parliament to halt the move to impeach Madras High Court judge Justice G.R. Swaminathan, warning that it poses a serious threat to judicial independence.
In their statement, the former judges said the attempt appears aimed at pressuring or intimidating judges who do not align with certain political or ideological views. They emphasised that even if the reasons cited by MPs are accepted at face value, they are insufficient to justify impeachment, a measure meant for the rarest and most serious cases.
The judges recalled past instances, including the Emergency period, when some judges faced repercussions for not conforming to political pressures. They also noted recent attempts to discredit or attack former Chief Justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi, S.A. Bobde, D.Y. Chandrachud, and current CJI Surya Kant whenever their decisions displeased political groups.
The former judges warned that using impeachment and public criticism as tools to control judges undermines the purpose of the mechanism, which is meant to safeguard judicial integrity. They described turning impeachment into a weapon against judges as “anti-democratic” and harmful to the rule of law, cautioning that targeting one judge today could threaten the entire judiciary tomorrow.
They urged MPs across party lines, members of the Bar, civil society, and citizens to denounce the move immediately, asserting that judges must remain answerable solely to their oath and the Constitution, not to political or ideological pressures.
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