Uphold dignity of your office: Supreme Court judge urges judicial officers

Bengaluru: Supreme Court Justice SVN Bhatti on Sunday delivered the fourth lecture in the Silver Jubilee Lecture Series, marking 25 years of the Karnataka Judicial Academy.

His lecture focused on the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, a framework for judicial ethics that upholds six core values: independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, and competence & diligence.

Resolution 23 of the United Nations Economic and Social Council encourages judiciaries of member states to implement these principles.

Justice Bhatti said young judicial officers aspiring to advance in their careers must embody these values. "Integrity is a fixed deposit. It gives you what you need at the right time," he remarked.

Urging judicial officers to uphold the dignity of their office, he stated, "If you hold a public position, you must serve in a way that leaves no blemish when you vacate it. Your successor should not feel the need to restore its dignity."

Offering practical advice, he cautioned against material distractions. "The first thing I tell judicial officers is — don't envy expensive pens and watches owned by lawyers. Use the pen given by the 'sarkar' to bring change to society. Never be in two minds. You are not representing your surname or your father; you are representing the Judiciary of Karnataka," he noted.