“Judges should avoid public comments on matters pending before courts,” Former CJI Gavai

Former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai said judicial discipline and propriety do not permit sitting or retired judges to publicly comment on matters pending adjudication. His remarks came in response to observations by Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision exercise.

Former Chief Justice of India B R Gavai has said judicial discipline and propriety do not permit a sitting or retired judge to publicly comment on an issue that is pending adjudication before a court, while reacting to Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan’s observations on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Speaking to ANI, Gavai said judges, whether serving or retired, should maintain judicial discipline when a matter is before a court for adjudication.

“Judicial discipline and propriety do not permit a sitting or retired judge to publicly comment on an issue pending adjudication before a court,” Gavai told ANI. Justice Bhuyan had recently made observations concerning citizens’ right to vote and the electoral process while speaking about the SIR exercise, which has been the subject of legal and public debate.

The remarks have drawn reactions from several legal figures, with views differing on the scope of electoral roll revision, alleged voter deletions and the safeguards required to protect citizens’ voting rights. Senior Advocate and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi backed the concerns expressed by Justice Bhuyan and former Supreme Court Judge Justice R F Nariman, saying their observations related to issues that directly affect citizens in a democracy. (ANI)