Delhi High Court Orders Joint Meeting Between Govt, Police, MHA Over Security For Judicial Officers, Says Severity Can't Be Undermined

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday called for a meeting between the authorities on the aspect of providing adequate security arrangements for judicial officers in the national capital.

Justice Manoj Jain directed that senior competent officials of the Delhi Government, Delhi Police and Ministry of Home Affairs hold a meeting in this regard within a week.

The Court issued notice on a plea filed by Judicial Service Association seeking a direction that its members, judges in the District Judiciary, be provided with personal security officers (PSOs) and that requisite security arrangements be made at their respective homes.

Observing that the severity of the grievance raised in the plea cannot be undermined from any angle whatsoever, the judge orally remarked that some arrangement has to be made for judges and that the matter will be considered on the next date of hearing after hearing outcome of the meeting.

The Association placed reliance on the observations made by a division bench in an order passed on July 19, 2024, wherein it considered grievance with regard to providing security allowance to the public prosecutors.

The Association also sent a representation to the Registrar General of the High Court on April 23 last year reiterating the request for security for judges.

In the representation, it was mentioned that there were various incidents involving threats and misbehaviour directed towards judges while they discharge their official duties and if the security and safety of judicial officers is not answered appropriately, it would undermine the majesty and dignity of the justice delivery system.

The representation also highlighted that most of the judges in Delhi drive their own vehicles to courtrooms and that there have been several incidents of stopping, stalking and road raging and at times, judges deal with numerous criminal cases of gang wards and firing within courtroom and regularly interact with gangsters and hardened criminals.

The Association said that when judges are called the custodian of justice delivery system, the State has to take steps to provide them security and safety.

Noting that it is not clear as to what is the outcome of the representation, the Court impleaded the Registrar General of the High Court as a party in the matter and directed that a report be submitted regarding the representation.

The Court said that if there is a specific threat perception to any individual judicial officer, requisite security arrangements can always be made but that in itself does not answer the main issue involved in the matter.

It added that security can be provided to a complainant or witness in case of threat perception and merely because individual cases are answered cannot be sufficient by itself.

Issuing notice in the plea, the Court directed Delhi Government to, Delhi Police and MHA to file their responses.

“Let a meeting in this regard take place between competent senior officials of GNCTD, Ministry of Home Affairs and Delhi Police. Let a report be filed by the next date of hearing,” the Court said.

While ordering the meeting to take place within a week, the Court asked the authorities to seek details of whether corresponding arrangements regarding PSOs have been made by any other State in India or not.

The matter has now been listed for hearing next on April 21.

Title: JUDICIAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION OF DELHI v. GNCTD