'Be humble': Supreme Court cautions judicial officers against misconduct, reinstates Punjab judge

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said judicial officers ought to be humble, polite and exhibit a humane approach after it noted incidents of misconduct towards bar members, litigants, among others.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh made the remarks when ordered the Punjab and Haryana High Court to provisionally reinstate a judicial officer, whose services were terminated after she allegedly misbehaved with the doctors of PGIMER Hospital in Chandigarh.

“Institution should be large hearted," the bench said.

The top court, however, said the reinstatement of Nazmeen Singh, an officer of Punjab Judicial Services, would be subject to an undertaking, of behaving properly with bar members, to the high court.

"We want brilliant and bright officers. We know how rigorous the selection process is. They are assets. We need to mould them properly. As an institution, you should be large hearted, while dealing with these officers," the bench told senior advocate S Muralidhar, representing the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The high court challenged its order of September 27, 2024 by which it was directed to reinstate the officer and her April 9, 2021 termination order, passed on the administrative side, was quashed.

Concerned over the rising complaints of such misconduct, the bench stressed on sensitising judicial officers about their responsibilities.

"They do not behave properly with bar members, seniors or the litigants. I think we need to sensitise our officers about their conduct. I know of a case, where a magistrate was not behaving properly with the sessions judge. There is a need for some professional training before we hire them," Justice Surya Kant said.

If judicial officers did not behave properly, the bench said, it reflected poorly on the institution.

The court also wondered if training was required for such officers at the judicial academy level.

"They should be humble, polite and have a humane approach while sitting on the other side of the dias," the bench said as it lauded the efforts of doctors at PGIMER, Chandigarh saying they were doing unimaginable kind of work, deserving respect. "I have been in Punjab and Haryana High Court and been to PGIMER, Chandigarh. They are doing tremendous work, round the clock. Unless you visit the hospital, you cannot imagine the work they do. Doctors are very senior and noble persons. Their work needs to be respected," the bench said.

Justice Surya Kant said she could also be posted in Patiala, Punjab, where the district judge who was senior woman judicial officer could take care of her.

The bench posted the matter after two weeks and asked the judicial officer to file her undertaking before the registrar general of the high court and submit a copy in the top court.

On September 27, 2024, the high court reinstated the judicial officer with all consequential benefits after finding the principles of natural justice were not followed.

The officer had qualified the Punjab Civil Services Judicial Examination in 2015 and was appointed as civil judge (junior division) or judicial magistrate in 2016.

Post her appointment, she served in Ludhiana and Chandigarh courts.

In 2018 during her posting in Chandigarh, the officer was asked by the chief judicial magistrate to conduct the inquest proceedings into the death of a prisoner at PGIMER in Chandigarh owing to Asthma and AIDS.

On July 31, 2018, however, members of the medical board complained to the director of PGIMER, Chandigarh, alleging misconduct on the part of the judicial officer, leading to her termination post a high court conducted enquiry.