HC raps authorities for lack of security for district judges

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Tuesday pulled up police and govt over lack of adequate security for district judges, saying such an approach raises serious concerns.

It was dealing with a plea by an association of district judiciary, seeking personal security officers and proper safety arrangements for their judges.

HC highlighted that the authorities couldn’t wait for an untoward incident before taking steps and questioned the delay in bolstering security. It observed that the demand for round-the-clock security appeared justified and deserved proper consideration, but the response of the state appeared to be insensitive and lacking seriousness.

Senior advocate Kirti Uppal, appearing for Judicial Service Association, said several states had already provided security to judicial officers, but similar steps had not been effectively taken in Delhi.

The high court declined to take the minutes of the earlier meeting on record and directed that a fresh meeting be convened within seven days to find concrete and workable suggestions. District court judges deal with heavy caseloads and are exposed to risks, HC pointed out.

The court earlier directed the Union home ministry, Delhi govt and police to convene a meeting and examine the issue.

It emphasised that the safety of judicial officers was a serious issue and couldn’t be ignored, while seeking a detailed report of the meeting.

The association has sought PSOs for district judges along with proper security arrangements at their residences. It pointed out that many judges travelled without any security and had faced incidents such as stalking, threats and aggressive behaviour on roads. The plea also highlighted that judges routinely handled serious criminal cases, including gang-related matters, and there had even been incidents of firing within court premises.
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