After PF scam, CJI issues a code of conduct for lower court judges

Tannu Sharma

Posted online: Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 0130 hrs Print Email

New Delhi, July 19:With the multi-crore Provident Fund scam staring in the face of the judiciary, the Chief Justice of India, K G Balakrishnan, has prescribed a model code of conduct for judicial officers (judges of subordinate courts).

The 12-point comprehensive code prescribes what lower court judges are supposed to do and not do when judges of higher courts are on official/personal visits.

The guidelines have already been dispatched to all the 26 high courts for implementation, according to highly placed sources. Being the head of the judiciary, Justice Balakrishnan has also attempted to put in black and white as to what shall constitute misconduct. According to the directive, any violation of these instructions will be considered as “gross misconduct”.

It stated, “No judicial officer (subordinate judges) shall arrange any private trips including any excursion trip or a visit to a religious place for the visiting Chief Justice/ Judges.”

In the backdrop of allegations levelled by key suspect Ashutosh Asthana in the Ghaziabad PF acam against several sitting HC judges of having received numerous gifts, the code also bars judicial officers from offering or giving any gift or any kind of hospitality to the Chief Justice/ Judges.

It also restrains judicial officers from visiting the Chief Justice/ Judge “unless called for official purposes.”

“If the visiting chief justice/ judge wants to call a judicial officer for official purposes, he will be called before or after the court hours,” the note says.

Dinners or lunches, usually arranged by the subordinate judges during official visits of high court judges, have been banned. “No function will be organised by judicial officers during the visit of the Chief Justice/judges except official functions,” the note says.

List of don’ts

• No judicial officer shall receive, see off, or visit the Chief Justice/ Judges during the court hours; arrange private trips, food or transport for them

• They shall not offer or provide any gift or hospitality to the Chief Justice/ Judge or visit the visiting Chief justice/ Judges unless for official purposes

• They shall not arrange any function during the visit of the Chief Justice/ Judges except official functions