In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has strongly condemned a disturbing trend of litigants and lawyers making scandalous allegations against judges when they fail to get favorable orders. The court's stern warning came as it decided to drop a suo motu contempt case after the involved lawyers tendered an unconditional apology.
A Trend Strongly Deprecated
The bench, led by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and comprising Justice K Vinod Chandran, expressed deep concern over what it described as a "growing trend" of filing pleas containing "scurrilous and scandalous allegations against the judge." The case in question was related to a transfer petition that allegedly contained objectionable remarks against Telangana High Court judge Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya.
"Such a practice has to be strongly deprecated," CJI Gavai stated emphatically while presiding over the bench. The court had initiated suo motu contempt proceedings on July 29, 2025, issuing show cause notices to the petitioner, the Advocate on Record, and the lawyers who had agreed to file the contentious petition.
The Apology and Magnanimous Acceptance
The proceedings took a decisive turn when the court directed the lawyers to tender an apology to Justice Bhattacharya. In an order dated August 22, 2025, Justice Bhattacharya demonstrated what the Supreme Court bench later termed as "the magnanimity of accepting the apology tendered by the petitioners."
Following this acceptance, the Supreme Court bench on Monday, November 10, 2025, announced that it was also inclined to accept the unconditional apology. This decision led to the winding up of the contempt proceedings, but not before the court issued a crucial caution to the legal fraternity.
A Note of Caution for Legal Officers
While accepting the apology, the bench put forth a strong note of caution, emphasizing the professional responsibilities of lawyers as officers of the court. The court reminded lawyers to exercise utmost care while subscribing their signatures on pleadings, particularly those that make scandalous and scurrilous allegations against judges.
The bench specifically stated: "We are also inclined to accept the unconditional apology tendered by the alleged contemnor. However, we may put a note of caution that the lawyers are expected to act as officers of the court, to be careful while subscribing their signatures on the pleadings, which are in the nature of making scandalous and scurrilous allegations against the judges of the Court."
In its order, the court also referenced its recent ruling from July 23, 2025, which stated that lawyers should not be punished for small mistakes as such actions could adversely affect their careers. However, the bench made it clear that making scandalous allegations against judges does not fall into the category of "small mistakes" and requires serious attention from the legal community.
This ruling serves as a significant reminder to all legal professionals about their duty to maintain the dignity of the judiciary and the importance of responsible legal practice.
