The top court sounded the warning in an order passed to expunge certain controversial remarks made last month by the Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, Justice Rajbir Sehrawat.
In a July 17 order, Justice Sehrawat had lamented that the Supreme Court has no role in contempt of court proceedings pending before a High Court while criticising the top court for staying a High Court order.
The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the same.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant and Hrishikesh Roy today observed that impropriety noticed in passing such an order was compounded by oral observations made by the High Court judge, a video of which had been widely circulated.
“The order dated July 17, 2024, is compounded by a video which has been circulating indicating random, gratuitous and unnecessary remarks made by the single judge during the course of the hearing. In an age where there is widespread reporting of any proceeding which takes place in the court, particularly in the context of live streaming which is intended to provide access to justice to citizens, it is all the more necessary that judges exercise restraint and responsibility in the observations which are made in court,” the Supreme Court proceeded to observe.
Source: Barandbench
