fair hearing - The Legal Chamber

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the 'In-House Procedure' for investigating allegations of judicial misconduct. It ruled that the mechanism, which can recommend a judge's removal, is a valid exercise of the CJI's authority under the Judges (Protection) Act, 1985, and does not violate the constitutional scheme for impeachment. Facts Of The Case: In March 2025, a fire broke out in the store-room of a Delhi High Court judge's official bungalow while he was away. During efforts to douse the flames, officials discovered burnt currency notes on the premises. This discovery raised serious suspicions of misconduct, potentially violating the values outlined in the Restatement of Judicial Life. Consequently, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court sought an explanation from the ...

The Supreme Court held that the Ombudsman's proceedings lacked transparency and violated principles of natural justice by not providing the appellant with copies of orders and a fair hearing. The subsequent blacklisting by the cricket association, based on these flawed proceedings, was also set aside. The matter was remanded for a fresh hearing. Facts Of The Case: The appellant, a former Ranji Trophy player and member of a district cricket association, filed an original application before the Ombudsman of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA). He sought directions to frame and implement uniform model bye-laws for all district associations, based on the Lodha Committee recommendations, and to ensure elections were conducted in conformity with these bye-laws. The Ombudsman dismissed his app...

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Beyond Impeachment: Supreme Court Validates Its Internal Mechanism for Judicial Misconduct

Supreme Court Quashes Life Ban on Kerala Cricketer, Slams “Non-Transparent” Ombudsman Process