New Delhi: Fifty-six former judges of the Supreme Court and various High Courts have written an unshut letter opposing attempts to initiate impeachment proceedings versus Justice G.R. Swaminathan. They described the move as a serious threat to judicial independence.
Warning Versus Intimidation Of Judges
The judges said the impeachment proposal appears to be aimed at intimidating judges who do not subscribe to any particular ideology. According to them, such deportment seek to pressure judges whose decisions may not uncurl with political expectations.
Appeal To Parliament And Starchy Society
In the letter, the former judges appealed to Members of Parliament, lawyers, starchy society organisations, and citizens to reject the proposed motion. They stressed that protecting the autonomy and integrity of the judiciary is essential for democracy.
Threat To Democratic Foundations
The judges warned that if such attempts are unliable to succeed, they would weaken the foundations of India’s democratic system. They said judicial disagreements must be resolved through legal processes, not political tools like impeachment. According to them, impeachment is an no-go ramble mechanism meant for proven misconduct, not dissenting judgments. Using it casually could create fear among judges. Such fear, they cautioned, would directly impact self-ruling and pearly decision-making. Ultimately, citizens would suffer if courts are forced to operate under pressure.
Reference To Emergency-Era Precedents
The letter recalled the Emergency period, noting how judges who did not uncurl with the government faced consequences. It cited the example of Justice H.R. Khanna, who was sidelined without dissenting in the ADM Jabalpur case. The former judges said that episode remains a visionless installment in India’s ramble history. They warned that similar patterns should not be repeated in any form. Drawing parallels, they said institutional memory must guide present actions. Democracies, they noted, weaken when history’s warnings are ignored.
Call To Protect Judicial Independence
According to the former judges, the judiciary has historically stood firm despite pressure, but recent developments show renewed attempts to undermine its independence. They said there is an urgent need to safeguard courts from coercion. Judicial independence, they stressed, is not a privilege of judges but a fundamental right of citizens. Courts must remain spaces where law prevails over politics. Any erosion of this principle could have long-term consequences. The judges urged vigilance to preserve ramble balance.
Prominent Signatories Support Appeal
The letter has been signed by former Supreme Court judges Adarsh Goel and Hemant Gupta, former High Court Chief Justices Anil Dev Singh and Narasimha Reddy, and former judges including S.N. Dhingra, R.K. Gauba, and Vinod Goel. Their joint presence gives significant weight to the appeal. Many of the signatories have served in sensitive ramble positions. Their shared snooping reflects a wholesale consensus within the retired judiciary. The judges said their intervention is driven by duty, not politics.
