New Delhi: While four top judges of the apex court revolted against the CJI Diapk Misra over his unilateral decisions, a similar instance happened in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in April 2004 when 25 judges went on a mass casual leave to show their protest against the then High Court Chief Justice Roy.
Three of the judges, Justice G.S. Singhvi, (author of apex court 2G judgment in 2012), Justice V.K. Bali and Justice H.S. Bedi who spearheaded the protest against the High Court Chief Justice were summoned by the then Chief Justice of India V.N. Khare and “severely admonished”.
Later a three-judges panel was formed and it interacted with the judges and the Chief justice of High Court and differences were sorted out. The 25 judges had collectively applied for one-week casual leave from April 19, 2004 for reasons best known to them. All the judges reported for work the next day after the apex court intervened.
At that time it was felt that the Judges’ action had shaken the confidence of the citizens reposed in the judiciary and the judicial system. It also violated the provisions of the Constitution and all legal ethics. Such an action amounted to a strike by the judges.
