The Lok Sabha has been informed that the office of the Chief Justice of India received 8,630 complaints against sitting judges of the Supreme Court and various High Courts over the last ten years. The information brings attention to how the higher judiciary deals with allegations of misconduct through its internal system.

The question was raised by DMK MP Matheswaran V.S., who asked how complaints related to corruption, sexual misconduct, or other serious allegations against judges are recorded and monitored.

Responding in the House, Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that complaints against judges of the Supreme Court are handled by the Chief Justice of India under the court’s in-house procedure. Complaints against High Court judges are dealt with by the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court.

He also said that complaints filed through government platforms such as the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System are forwarded to the Chief Justice of India or the respective High Court Chief Justice, depending on the case.

According to the data shared in Parliament, the highest number of complaints was recorded in 2024. This period covered the tenure of former Chief Justices of India Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud and Sanjiv Khanna.

The minister explained that judicial accountability is governed by an in-house mechanism that was formalized in a full court meeting of the Supreme Court on May 7, 1997. During that meeting, two key resolutions were adopted. One was the “Restatement of Values of Judicial Life,” which lays down ethical standards for judges. The other was the in-house procedure that provides a process for taking action in case of any deviation from those standards.

The government clarified that complaints received in any form are sent to the appropriate judicial authority, reinforcing that the higher judiciary has a structured internal process to deal with grievances against its members.