Judges should not use Facebook, live like hermits and work like horses: Supreme Court

A two judge bench in the Supreme Court made the observations while hearing a matter pertaining to the termination of two women judicial officers by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

The Supreme Court has observed that judges should not use ‘Facebook at all’ and live a hermit life. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh which was hearing a matter pertaining to the termination of two women judicial officers by the Madhya Pradesh High Court said that judges should work like horse and should not comment on judgments. 

The top court also said that there is no place for flamboyant in the judiciary. “Judicial officers should not go to Facebook. They should not comment on judgments because tomorrow if the judgment is cited, the judge has already expressed one way or the other,” the court said. 

“It is an open platform. You have to live life a hermit, work like a horse. So much sacrifice judicial officers have to do. They should not go into Facebook at all," the bench said in an oral observation.

Echoing similar views, Senior advocate R Basant, appearing for one of the terminated woman judge, aid no judicial officer or judge should go to Facebook to post anything related to judicial work.

What is the case? 

This comes after senior advocate Gaurav Agarwal, who is amicus curiae, submitted before the bench about the various complaints against the terminated woman judge. Agarwal informed the bench that the woman judge had also made a post on Facebook.

Wish men have menstruation, the top court had earlier remarked, censuring the Madhya Pradesh High Court's decision to sack a woman judge in the state based on performance and not considering her predicament due to a miscarriage.

On November 11, 2023, the top court took a suo motu cognisance of the termination of six women civil judges by the state government over their alleged unsatisfactory performance.

(With inputs from PTI)