Workplace reforms in the judiciary

The Supreme Court must set an example in ensuring a harassment-free, safe, and a respectful workplace

- Tiasha Mukherjee

intern alleged sexual harassment by a retired Supreme Court judge. Subsequently, a petition was filed for a permanent mechanism to address sexual harassment complaints against sitting and retired judges. The case, pending in the Supreme Court for a decade, was last listed in 2023. Currently, there is no clear complaint mechanism for cases of sexual harassment concerning judges, and particularly the Chief Justice of India.

In 1997, the sixteen values contained in the charter titled 'Restatement of values of judicial life' were adopted at a full court meeting of the Supreme Court of India, but remain vague and fall short of addressing harassment in any meaningful detail.